m. 


m^'" 


THE  UNIVERSITY  OF 

NORTH  CAROLINA 

LIBRARY 


THE  WILMER  COLLECTION 

OF  CIVIL  WAR  NOVELS 

PRESENTED  BY 

RICHARD  H.  WILMER,  JR. 


^^'^ 


m 


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)  —BY    A  — 


ym      0.\  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 


'^^^'^^i^^M^m^' 


THE   GUN-BOAT  SERIES. 


FRANK,    THE   YOUNG    NATURALIST, 
FRANK    ON    A   GUN-BOAT, 
FRANK    IN    THE    WOODS, 
FRANK   BEFORE    VICKSBURO, 
FRANK  ON  THE   LOWER  MISSISSIPPL 


Price,  $1.25   per  volume,  or  $6.25  per  set,  in  a  neat  box, 

forming  a  most   excellent   and  interesting 

Library  for  Young  Folks. 


THE   GUN-BOAT  SERIES. 


i\xu\\ 


ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 


BY 


HARRY    CASTLEMON, 


"THE   GIN-BOAT  BOT. 


WITH  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


CINCINNATI: 
R  W.  CARROLL  &  CO.,  Polishers, 

117  West  Fourth  Street. 

1867. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  lSo7,  by 

R,  W.  CARROLL  &  CO., 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Conrt  of  the  United  States,  for  the 
Southern  District  of  Ohio. 


(Tontcnts. 


CHAPTER   I. 
The  New  Paymaster 9 

CHAPTER   II. 
A  Night  Expedition 28 

CHAPTER   III. 
Abchie  in  a  Predicament 43 

CHAPTER   IV. 
A  Mark  for  the  Union 67 

CHAPTER    V. 
A  Run  for  Life 73 

CHAPTER   VI. 
Frank  turns   Detective 90 

CHAPTER    VII. 
Frank's  first  Command 106 

CHAPTER   VIII. 
An  Unlucky  Fight 124 

CHAPTER   IX. 
Up  the  Washita 137 

(vii) 


602904 


VIU  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER   X. 
The  Promotion 154 

CHAPTER    XI. 
The  Rival  Spies 165 

CHAPTER    XII. 
A  Scouting  Party 185 

CHAPTER    XIII. 
Tom  the  Coxswain 197 

CHAPTER   XIV. 
A  Rebel  Trick 213 

CHAPTER   XV. 
Honorably  Discharged 225 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI, 


CHAPTER    I. 

fCc> 

.ICKSBURG  had  fallen,  and  the 
army  had  marched  in  and  taken 
possession  of  the  city.  How 
Frank  longed  to  accompany  it,  that 
he  might  see  the  inside  of  the  rebel 
stronghold,  which  had  so  long  with- 
stood the  advance  of  our  fleet  and 
army !  He  stood  leaning  against  one  of  the  mon- 
ster guns,  which,  at  his  bidding,  had  spoken  so 
often  and  so  efi'ectively  in  favor  of  the  Union,  and 
for  two  hours  watched  the  long  lines  of  war-worn 
soldiers  as  they  moved  into  the  works.  At  length 
a  tremendous  cheer  arose  from  the  city,  and 
Frank  discovered  a  party  of  soldiers  on  the  cu- 

(9) 


10  FRANK    ON   THE   LOWER   MISSISSIPPI. 

pola  of  the  court-house,  from  which,  a  few  mo- 
ments afterward,  floated  the  Stars  and  Stripes. 
Then  came  faintly  to  his  ears  the  words  of  a 
familiar  song,  which  were  caught  up  by  the  sol- 
diers in  the  city,  then  by  those  who  were  still 
marching  in,  and  "  We  '11  rally  round  the  flag, 
boys,"  was  sung  by  an  immense  choir.  The  reb- 
els in  the  streets  gazed  wonderingly  at  the  men 
on  the  spire,  and  listened  to  the  song,  and  the 
triumphant  shouts  of  the  conquering  army,  which 
proclaimed  the  beginning  of  the  downfall  of  their 
confederacy. 

To  Frank,  it  was  one  of  the  proudest  moments 
of  his  life — a  sight  he  would  not  have  missed  to 
be  able  to  float  at  the  mast-head  of  his  vessel  the 
broad  pennant  of  the  admiral.  All  he  had  en- 
dured was  forgotten;  and  when  the  Old  Flag  was 
unfurled  in  the  air  which  had  but  a  short  time 
before  floated  the  "stars  and  bars,"  he  pulled  ofl" 
his  cap  and  shouted  at  the  top  of  his  lungs. 

Having  thus  given  vent  to  his  feelings  of  exul-         '^ 
tation,  in  obedience  to  orders,  he  commenced  the 
removal  of  his  battery  on  board  the  Trenton.     It 
was  two  days'  work  to  accomplish  this,  but  Frank, 
who  was  impatient  to  see  the  inside  of  the  fortifi- 


THE   NEW   PAYMASTER.  11 

cations,  worked  with  a  will,  and  finally  the  battery 
was  mounted  in  its  old  position.  On  the  following 
day,  the  Trenton  moved  down  the  river,  and  came 
to  anchor  in  front  of  Vicksburg.  Shore  liberty 
was  granted,  and  Frank,  in  company  with  several 
of  his  brother  officers,  strolled  about  the  city.  On 
every  side  the  houses  bore  the  marks  of  Union 
shot  and  shell,  and  the  streets  were  blocked  with 
fortifications,  showing  that  had  the  city  been  taken 
by  storm,  it  was  the  intention  of  the  rebels  to 
dispute  every  inch  of  the  ground.  Every  thing 
bore  evidence  to  the  fact  that  the  fight  had  been 
a  most  desperate  one;  that  the  rebels  had  sur- 
rendered only  when  they  found  that  it  was  impos- 
sible to  hold  out  longer. 

In  some  places  the  streets  ran  through  deep 
cuts  in  the  bank,  and  in  these  banks  were  the 
famous  "  gopher  holes."  They  were  caves  dug 
in  the  ground,  into  which  a  person,  if  he  hap- 
pened to  hear  a  shell  coming,  might  run  for  safety. 
Outside  the  city,  the  fortifications  were  most 
extensive;  rifle-pits  ran  in  every  direction,  flanked 
by  strong  forts,  whose  battered  walls  attested  the 
fury  of  the  iron  hail  that  had  been  poured  upon 
them.     It  was  night  before  Frank  was  aware  of 


12  FRA^'K   ON   THE   LOWER   MISSISSIPPI. 

it,  SO  interested  was  he  in  every  thing  about  him, 
and  he  returned  on  board  his  vessel,  weary  with 
his  long  walk,  but  amply  repaid  by  seeing  the 
inside  of  what  its  rebel  occupants  had  called  ''  the 
Gibraltar  of  America." 

During  the  next  two  days,  several  vessels  of 
the  squadron  passed  the  city,  on  their  way  to 
new  fields  of  action  further  down  the  river.  One 
of  them — the  Boxer,  a  tin-clad,  mounting  eight 
guns — had  Frank  on  board.  He  had  been  de- 
tached from  the  Trenton,  and  ordered  to  join  this 
vessel,  which  had  been  assigned  a  station  a  short 
distance  below  Grand  Gulf.  As  usual,  he  had  no 
difficulty  in  becoming  acquainted  with  his  new 
messmates,  and  he  soon  felt  perfectly  at  home 
among  them.  He  found,  as  he  had  done  in  every 
other  mess  of  which  he  had  been  a  member,  that 
there  was  the  usual  amount  of  wrangling  and  dis- 
puting, and  it  amused  him  exceedingly.  All  the 
mess  seemed  to  be  indignant  at  the  caterer,  who 
did  not  appear  to  stand  very  high  in  their  esti- 
mation. The  latter,  he  learned,  had  just  made 
an  "assessment"  upon  the  mess  to  the  amount 
of  ten  dollars  for  each  member ;  and  as  there  was 
no  paymaster  on  board,  the  officers  had  but  very 


THE   NEW   PAYMASTER.  13 

little  ready  money,  and  were  anxious  to  know 
where  all  the  funds  paid  into  the  treasury  went 
to.  He  also  found  that  the  caterer's  authority 
was  not  as  much  respected  as  he  had  a  right  to 
claim,  for  during  the  very  first  meal  Frank  ate  in 
the  mess,  a  dispute  arose  which  threatened  for  a 
time  to  end  in  the  whole  matter  being  carried  be- 
fore the  captain. 

One  of  the  members  of  the  mess,  who  was  tem- 
porarily attached  to  the  vessel,  was  a  pilot  who 
had  been  pressed  into  the  service.  He  was  a 
genuine  rebel,  and  frequently  said  that  he  was 
called  a  traitor  because  he  was  in  favor  of  allow- 
ing the  South  to  "peaceably  withdraw  from  the 
Union."  The  doctor,  a  little,  fat,  jolly  man,  and 
a  thorough  Unionist,  who  believed  in  handling  all 
rebels  without  gloves,  took  up  the  sword,  and  the 
debate  that  followed  was  long  and  stormy.  The 
pilot,  as  it  proved,  hardly  knew  the  reasons  why 
the  South  had  attempted  to  secede,  and  was  con- 
stantly clinching  his  arguments  by  saying,  "  Men 
who  know  more,  and  who  have  done  more  fighting 
during  this  war  than  you,  Doctor  Brown,  say  that 
they  have  a  right  to  do  so."  The  debate  waxed 
hotter  and  hotter,  until  some  of  the  other  mem- 


14  FRANK   ON   THE   LOWER   MISSISSIPPI. 

bers  of  the  mess  joined  in  with  the  doctor  against 
the  pilot,  and  the  caterer,  thinking  that  the  noise 
the  disputants  made  was  unbecoming  the  members 
of  a  well-regulated  mess,  at  length  shouted : 

"  Silence  !  Gentlemen,  hereafter  talking  politics 
in  this  wardroom  is  strictly  prohibited." 

^'Eh?"  ejaculated  the  doctor,  who  was  thor- 
oughly aroused.  "  Do  you  expect  us  to  sit  here 
and  listen  to  a  conscript  running  down  the  Govern- 
ment— a  man  who  never  would  have  entered  the 
service  if  he  had  not  been  compelled  to  do  so? 
No,  sir !  I  would  n't  hold  my  tongue  under  such 
circumstances  if  all  the  six-foot-four  caterers  in 
the  squadron  should  say  so.  You  are  not  a  little 
admiral,  to  come  down  here  and  hoist  your  broad 
pennant  in  this  mess-room." 

The  caterer  was  astounded  when  he  found  his 
authority  thus  set  at  defiance,  and  without  further 
parley  he  retired  to  his  room;  and  in  a  few  mo- 
ments retui-ned  with  the  books,  papers,  and  the 
small  amount  of  money  that  belonged  to  the  mess; 
laying  them  on  the  table,  he  said: 

*'  Gentlemen,  you  will  please  elect  another  ca- 
terer." 

The  debate  was  instantly  hushed,  for  not  one 


THE    NEW   PAYMASTER.  15 

member  of  the  mess,  besides  the  caterer  just  re- 
signed, could  have  been  hired  to  take  the  respon- 
sibility of  managing  affairs.  AVhcn  the  ollicers 
had  finished  their  dinner,  they  ^valked  carelessly 
out  on  deck,  as  if  the  question  of  where  the  next 
meal  -was  to  come  from  did  not  trouble  them  in 
the  least.  Nothing  was  done  toward  an  election ; 
no  one  took  charge  of  the  books  or  papers,  and 
when  the  table  was  cleared  away  they  were 
thrown  unceremoniously  under  the  water-cooler. 
The  money,  however,  was  taken  care  of  by  the 
doctor.  Dinner-time  came,  and  when  Frank,  tired 
and  hungry,  was  relieved  from  the  deck,  he  in- 
quired what  was  to  be  had  to  eat. 

"There's  nothing  been  done  about  it  yet," 
answered  the  officer  who  relieved  him.  "The 
steward  went  to  several  of  the  members  of  the 
mess,  and  asked  what  they  wished  served  up ;  but 
they  told  him  that  they  had  nothing  to  do  with 
the  caterer's  business,  and  the  consequence  is,  if 
you  want  any  thing  to  eat,  you  will  have  to  go 
into  the  pantry  and  help  yourself." 

Frank  was  a  good  deal  amused  at  the  obstinacy 
displayed  by  the  different  members  of  the  mess, 
and   wondered  how   the   affair  would  end.     The 


16  FRANK   ON    THE    LOWER   MISSISSIPPI. 

mess  could  not  long  exist  without  some  one  to 
take  charge  of  it ;  but  for  himself  he  was  not  at 
all  concerned.  He  had  paid  no  initiation  fee, 
because  no  one  had  asked  him  for  it,  and  he 
knew  that  as  long  as  there  were  provisions  in  the 
paymaster's  store-rooms,  there  was  no  danger  but 
that  he  would  get  plenty  to  eat.  He  found  three 
or  four  officers  in  the  pantry  making  their  dinner 
on  hard-tack,  pickles,  and  raw  bacon.  They  were 
all  grumbling  over  the  hard  fare,  but  not  one  of 
them  appeared  willing  to  assume  the  office  of 
caterer. 

Things  went  on  in  this  way  for  nearly  a  week, 
(during  which  time  they  had  arrived  at  their  sta- 
tion,) and  the  doctor,  who  was  fond  of  good  living, 
could  stand  it  no  longer.  He  went  to  the  caterer 
who  had  resigned,  and,  after  considerable  urging, 
and  a  solemn  promise  that  politics  should  not 
again  be  discussed  in  the  mess,  the  latter  was 
persuaded  to  resume  the  management  of  affiiirs. 
The  change  from  hard  crackers  and  pickles  to 
nice  warm  meals  was  a  most  agreeable  one,  and 
the  jolly  doctor,  according  to  promise,  was  very 
careful  what  questions  were  brought  up  before  the 
the  mess  for  discussion. 


THE   NEW   PAYMASTER.  17 

By  tills  time,  as  we  have  before  remarked,  the 
Boxer  had  arrived  at  her  station.  Her  crew 
thought  they  were  now  about  to  lead  a  life  of 
idleness  and  inactivity,  for  not  a  rebel  had  they 
seen  since  leaving  Vicksburg.  But  one  morning, 
while  the  men  were  engaged  in  washing  off  the 
forecastle,  they  were  startled  by  a  roar  of  mus- 
ketry, and  three  of  the  sailors  fell  dead  upon  the 
deck. 

The  fight  that  followed  continued  for  two  hours, 
the  rebels  finally  retiring,  not  because  they  had 
been  worsted,  but  for  the  reason  that  they  had 
grown  weary  of  the  engagement.  This  was  tlie 
commencement  of  a  series  of  attacks  which  proved 
to  be  the  source  of  great  annoyance  to  the  crew 
of  the  Boxer.  The  guerrillas  would  appear  when 
least  expected,  and  the  levee  afforded  them  a  se- 
cure hiding-place  from  which  they  could  not  be 
driven,  either  with  big  guns  or  small  arms.  They 
were  fatal  marksmen,  too;  and  during  the  week 
following,  the  Boxer's  crew  lost  ten  men.  One 
rebel  in  particular  attracted  their  attention,  and 
his  reckless  courage  excited  their  admiration, 
lie  rode  a  large  white  horse,  and  although  ren- 
dered a  prominent  mark  for  the  rifles  of  tho 
2 


18  FRANK    ON    THE    LOWER   MISSISSIPPI. 

sailors,  he  always  escaped  unhurt.  He  "would 
ride  boldly  out  in  full  view  of  the  vessel,  patiently 
wait  for  some  one  to  expose  himself,  when  the 
sharp  crack  of  his  rifle  would  be  followed  by  the 
report  made  to  the  captain,  '^A  man  shot,  sir." 

Frank  had  selected  this  man  as  a  worthy  foe- 
man;  and  every  time  he  appeared  the  young  offi- 
cer was  on  the  watch  for  him.  He  was  very 
expert  with  the  rifle,  and  after  a  few  shots,  he 
succeeded  in  convincing  the  rebel  that  the  safest 
place  for  him  was  behind  the  levee.  One  morn- 
ing the  foe  appeared  in  stronger  force  than  usual, 
and  conspicuous  among  them  was  the  white  horse 
and  his  daring  rider.  The  fight  that  ensued 
had  continued  for  perhaps  half  an  hour,  when 
the  quartermaster  reported  the  dispatch-boat  ap- 
proaching. As  soon  as  she  came  within  range, 
the  guerrillas  directed  their  fire  against  her,  to 
which  the  latter  replied  briskly  from  two  guns 
mounted  on  her  forecastle.  The  leader  of  the 
rebels  was  constantly  in  view,  cheering  on  his 
men,  and  discharging  his  rifle  as  fast  as  he  could 
reload.  Frank  fired  several  shots  at  him,  and 
finding  that,  as  usual,  they  were  without  efi'ect, 
he  asked  the  captain  s  permission  to  try  a  how- 


THE    NEW    PAYMASTER.  19 

itzer  on  him,  which  was  granted.  He  ran  below, 
trained  the  gun  to  his  satisfaction,  and  waited  for 
an  opportunity  to  fire,  during  which  the  dispatch- 
boat  came  alongside  and  commenced  putting  off 
a  supply  of  stores. 

At  length  the  rebel  mounted  the  levee,  and 
reigning  in  his  horse,  sat  in  his  saddle  gazing  at 
the  vessels,  as  if  not  at  all  concerned.  He  pre- 
sented a  fair  mark,  and  Frank  fired,  but  the  shell 
went  wild  and  burst  in  the  woods,  far  beyond  the 
rebel,  who,  however,  beat  a  hasty  retreat  behind 
the  levee. 

"Oh,  what  a  shot  I"  shouted  a  voice  through 
the  trumpet  that  led  from  the  pilot-house  to  the 
main  deck.  "What  a  shot — altogether  too  much 
elevation." 

"Who's  that,  I  wonder?"  soliloquized  Frank. 
"It  was  a  poor  shot,  but  I'd  like  to  see  that  fel- 
low, whoever  he  is,  do  any  better." 

After  giving  orders  to  have  the  gun  reloaded 
and  secured,  he  ran  into  the  wardroom  to  look 
after  his  mail,  at  the  same  time  inquiring  of  every 
one  he  met,  "Who  was  that  making  fun  of  my 
shootinor?"  But  no  one  knew,  nor  cared  to 
trouble  himself  about  the  matter,  for  the  subject 


20  FRANK    ON    THE    LOWER   MISSISSIPPI. 

of  conversation  was,  ^'  We  've  got  a  new  pay- 
master." 

Frank  was  pleased  to  hear  this,  but  was  still 
determined  to  find  the  person  who  had  laughed 
at  his  marksmanship,  when  he  saw  a  pair  of  feet 
descending  the  ladder  that  led  from  the  cabin  to 
the  pilot-house,  and  a  moment  afterward,  a  smart 
looking  young  officer,  dressed  in  the  uniform  of  a 
paymaster,  stood  in  the  wardroom,  and  upon  dis- 
covering Frank,  thrust  out  his  hand  and  greeted 
him  with — 

"What  a  shot!  Been  in  the  service  more  than 
two  years,  and" 

"  Why,  Archie  Winters,  is  this  you  ?  "  exclaimed 
Frank,  joyfully. 

""Paymaster  Winters,  if  you  please,"  replied 
Archie,  with  mock  dignity. 

"How  came  you  here?  What  are  you.  doing? 
Got  any  money?"  hurriedly  inquired  Frank. 

"Got  plenty  of  funds,"  replied  his  cousin. 
"But  I  say,  Frank,  how  long  has  this  fighting 
been  going  on?" 

"Jlvery  day  for  the  last  week." 

Archie  shrugged  his  shoulders,  and  looked 
blank. 


THE    NEW    PAYMASTER.  21 

"I  guess  I  had  better  go  back  to  Cairo,"  said 
he ;  "  these  rebels,  I  hear,  shoot  very  carelessly. 
Just  before  we  came  alongside  here,  I  was  stand- 
ing on  the  deck  of  the  dispatch-boat,  and  some 
fellow  cracked  away  at  me,  sending  the  bullet 
altogether  too  close  to  ray  head  for  comfort." 

"Oh,  that's  nothing,  so  long  as  he  didn't  hit 
you.  You  '11  get  used  to  that  before  you  have 
been  here  a  week.  But,  Archie,  are  you  really 
ordered  to  this  vessel?" 

Archie  at  once  produced  his  orders,  and,  sure 
enough,  he  was  an  acting  assistant  paymaster, 
and  ordered  to  "report  to  the  commanding  officer 
of  the  U.  S.  S.  Boxer  for  duty  on  board  that 
vessel." 

During  the  two  years  that  Archie  had  been  in 
the  fleet-paymaster's  office  he  had,  by  strict  at- 
tention to  his  duties,  worked  his  way  up  from 
"writer"  to  corresponding  clerk.  He  had  had 
ample  opportunity  to  learn  the  duties  of  pay- 
master, and  one  day  he  suddenly  took  it  into  his 
head  to  make  application  for  the  position.  He  im- 
mediately wrote  to  his  father,  informing  him  of  his 
intention,  procured  his  letters  of  recommendation, 
and  a  month  afterward  received  the  appointment. 


22  FRANK    ON    THE    LOWER   MISSISSIPPI. 

Hearing,  through  Frank,  that  the  Boxer  was 
•without  a  paymaster,  he  succeeded  in  getting 
ordered  to  her,  and,  as  he  had  not  written  to  his 
cousin  of  his  good  fortune,  the  hitter,  as  may  be 
supposed,  was  taken  completely  by  surprise. 

Archie  was  speedily  introduced  to  the  officers 
of  the  vessel,  who  were  pleased  with  his  off-hand, 
easy  manners,  and  delighted  with  the  looks  of  a 
small  safe  which  he  had  brought  with  him,  for 
they  knew,  by  the  very  particular  orders  he  gave 
concerning  it,  that  there  was  money  in  it. 

At  the  end  of  an  hour  the  rebels  seemed  to 
grow  weary  of  the  fight,  for  they  drew  off  their 
forces;  then,  as  soon  as  it  was  safe  on  deck,  the 
cousins  seated  themselves  on  the  guard,  to  "talk 
over  old  times."  Frank  gave  descriptions  of  the 
fights  in  which  he  had  engaged  since  they  last 
met,  and  also  related  stories  of  mess-room  life, 
with  which  Archie  was  entirely  unacquainted; 
and  to  show  him  how  things  were  conducted,  told 
him  of  the  jokes  the  officers  frequently  played 
upon. each  others 

"Speaking  of  jokes,"  said  Archie,  "reminds  me 
of  a  little  affair  I  had  a  hand  in  at  Cairo. 

"While   the    commandant   of   the    station    was 


THE   NEW    PAYMASTER.  23 

absent  on  a  leave,  his  place  was  supplied  by  a 
gentleman  whom,  for  short,  I  will  call  Captain 
Smith.  lie  was  a  regular  officer,  had  grown  gray 
in  the  service,  and  was  one  of  the  most  eccentric 
men  I  ever  saw.  He  was  extremely  nervous,  too, 
and  if  a  steamer  happened  to  whistle  while  pass- 
ing the  wharf-boat,  it  would  make  him  almost 
wild. 

"One  day,  a  man  who  lived  off  somewhere  in 
the  woods,  came  down  to  Cairo  to  get  an  appoint- 
ment for  his  son  as  master's  mate.  Our  office, 
you  know,  was  just  to  the  right  of  the  door,  and, 
if  there  was  any  thing  that  bothered  me,  it  was  for 
some  body  to  stick  his  head  over  the  railing  when 
I  was  busy,  and  ask,  *Is  the  commandant  of  the 
station  in?'  There  was  an  orderly  on  watch  day 
and  night,  always  ready  to  answer  such  questions, 
and  besides,  there  was  an  abundance  of  notices  on 
the  w^alls  pointing  out  the  different  offices;  but  in 
spite  of  this,  every  stranger  that  came  in  must 
stop  and  make  inquiries  of  me. 

"Well,  this  man  came  into  the  office,  and  as  he 
had  evidently  never  been  there  before,  judging  by 
the  way  he  gaped  at  every  thing,  I  told  him  that 
it  was  after  office  hours,  and   that  he  must  call 


24  FRANK    ON    THE    LOWER    MISSISSIPPI. 

again  the  next  morning  about  nine  o'clock.  He 
took  a  turn  or  two  across  the  floor  (by-the-way, 
he  wore  squeaking  boots,  that  made  a  noise  like  a 
Bteam-whistle),  and  finally  went  out. 

"The  next  evening,  just  as  I  was  locking  up 
my  desk,  he  came  in  again,  and  I  repeated  what 
I  had  told  him  the  night  before,  that  he  must 
come  at  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning — not  at 
night — if  he  wished  to  see  the  captain,  and  he 
went  out,  after  making  noise  enough  with  his 
squeaking  boots  to  set  a  nervous  man's  teeth  on 
edge.  Now,  would  you  believe  it,  that  evening, 
after  I  had  finished  my  york,  and  was  starting 
out  for  supper,  I  saw  this  man  coming  up  the 
stairs.  He  met  me  Avith  the  usual  question,  '  Is 
the  captain  in?'  and  I  suddenly  hit  upon  a  plan 
to  get  rid  of  him,  for  I  had  made  up  my  mind 
that  the  man  didn't  know  what  he  was  about; 
so  I  replied: 

"'What  do  you  want?  Why  don't  you  come 
here  during  our  office  hours,  if  you  want  to  see 
me?' 

"I  spoke  in  a  gruff  voice,  and  I  was  so  bundled 
up— for  the  night  was  very  cold — that  I  knew  he 
wouldn't  recognize  me. 


THE    NEW    PAYMASTER.  25 

"^I've  been  busy  all  day,  cap'in,'  said  he;  *but 
the  fact  is' • 

"I  was  afraid  that  I  would  be  obliged  to  stand 
there  in  the  cold  and  listen  to  a  long,  uninterest- 
ing yarn,  so  I  interrupted  him. 

"'Speak  quick,  and  don't  keep  me  waiting.' 

"'Wal,  cap'in,'  said  he,  *I  heerd  you  are  in 
want  of  officers,  an'  I  come  to  get  a  place  for  my 
son ;  I  hear  the  wages  are  purty  good.' 

"'Yes,'  I  replied,  'we  do  want  officers;  but 
does  your  son  know  any  thing  about  a  ship?' 

'"Oh,  yes?  He's  run  the  river  as  deck-hand 
for  aroin'  nidi  on  to  three  vear.' 

"'Then  he  ought  to  know  something,  certainly. 
Come  around  to-morrow  morning,  at  nine  o'clock 
exactly,  and  I'll  see  what  can  be  done  for  you. 
Now,  mind,  I  say  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning.' 

"  Well,  the  next  morning,  at  the  appointed  time, 
to  my  oitter  astonishment,  the  man  was  on  hand, 
and,  as  usual,  commenced  walking  up  and  down 
the  floor  with  his  squeaking  boots.  The  noise 
disturbed  every  one  within  hearing,  and  presently 
the  captain,  who  was  in  his  office,  and  so  busy 
that  he  hardly  knew  what  he  was  about,  spoke  in 
a  sharp  tone  : 


26  FRANK    ON   THE    LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

"^Orderly,  pull  off  those  squeaking  boots!  ' 

"'It  isn't  me,  sir,'  said  the  orderly;  'it's  a 
gentleman  out  here  availing  to  see  you,  sir.' 

"'Then  send  him  in — send  him  in  at  once,  so 
that  I  can  get  rid  of  that  noise.' 

"The  man  was  accordingly  shown  into  the 
presence  of  the  captain,  while  I  listened  with  both 
ears  to  hear  what  was  said. 

"'Mornin',  cap'in,'  he  began;  'I  reckon  I'm 
here  on  time.' 

"'Time!  what  time?  "What  do  you  want?'  in- 
quired the  captain,  who  always  spoke  very  fast, 
as  though  he  were  in  a  hurry  to  get  through  with 
what  he  had  to  say.  'AVhat  do  you  want,  my 
good  man.     Be  lively  now.' 

" '  Why,  cap'in,  I  come  here  to  get  that  appoint- 
ment for  my  son  in  this  ere  navy.' 

"'Appointment!  For  your  son!'  repeated  the 
captain.     'AVho  is  he?     I  never  heard  of  him.' 

"'Wal,  really  now,  cap'in,  I'll  be  shot  if  you 
didn't  tell  me  last  night  that  you  would  make  my 
son  an  officer.  The  wages  are  good,  I  hear,  an' 
as  I've  a  debt  to  pay  off  on  the  farm' 

"'Don't  bother  me!'  interrupted  the  captain, 
beginning  to  get  impatient. 


THE    NEW   PAYMASTER.  27 

"^But,  cap'in,'  urged  the  man,  'you  can't  bluff 
me  off  this  'ere  way.  You  tohl  me  last  night  that 
you  wanted  officers ;  you  know  I  met  you  on  the 
stairs,  and  you  promised,  honor  bright.' 

"'Eh!'  ejaculated  the  captain,  in  surprise,  'my 
good  man,  allow  me  to  know  what  I'm  about,  will 
you?  Will  you  allow  me  to  know  myself?  Or- 
derly,' he  continued,  turning  to  that  individual, 
who  had  stood  by,  convulsed  with  laughter,  which 
he  was  vainly  endeavoring  to  conceal,  'orderly,  do 
you  think  this  man  is  in  his  right  mind?' 

"  The  orderly  said  he  did  n't  know ;  but,  taking 
the  man  by  the  arm,  showed  him  out  of  the  office, 
telling  him  to  come  again,  when  the  captain  was 
not  quite  so  busy. 

"The  conversation  had  been  carried  on  in  a 
loud  tone,  and  all  the  occupants  of  the  different 
offices  had  heard  it,  and  were  highly  amused,  for 
they  knew  that  somebody  had  been  playing  a  joke 
on  the  countryman ;  but  it  was  a  long  time  before 
I  told  any  one  of  the  share  I  had  had  in  the 
affair." 


28  FRANK    ON    THE    LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 


CHAPTER    II. 

p^^^^^^HE  captain  wishes  to  see  you,  gentle- 
ff^^H^/i:^  men!"  said  the  orderly,  stepping 
>^       up  and  saluting. 

The  cousins  repaired  to  the  cabin,, 
and  after  Archie  had  been  introduced 
to  the  captain  (for  being  utterly  igno- 
rant of  the  manner  in  which  things 
were  conducted  on  shipboard,  he  had  not  yet 
reported  his  arrival),  his  orders  were  indorsed, 
and  the  captain,  turning  to  his  desk,  ran  his  eye 
hastily  over  an  official  document,  and  said: 

"Mr.  Nelson,  I  have  received  instructions  from 
the  admiral  to  make  you  the  executive  officer  of 
this  vessel.  Mr.  Kearney's  resignation  has  been 
accepted,  and  you  will  take  his  place.  I  am  cer- 
tain, from  what  I   know  and  have  heard  of  your 


A    NIGHT    EXPEDITION.  29 

past  history,  that  I  shall  have  no  cause  to  regret 
the  change." 

After  a  few  moments'  conversation  with  the 
captain  upon  unimportant  matters,  the  cousins 
returned  to  the  wardroom. 

Frank's  constant  attention  to  his  duties  had 
a^-ain  been  rewarded,  and  he  was  now  the  second 
in  authority  on  board  the  vessel.  All  orders  from 
the  captain  must  pass  through  him,  and  in  the 
absence  of  that  gentleman  he  became  commander. 
To  say  that  Frank  was  delighted  would  but  feebly 
express  his  feelings ;  he  was  proud  of  the  honor, 
and  determined  that  he  would  prove  himself 
worthy  of  it.  In  fact,  he  had  now  reached  the 
height  of  his  ambition,  although  he  had  little 
dreamed  that  it  would  come  so  soon.  He  asked 
nothinor  more.     He  had  worked  hard  and  faith- 

o 

fully  ever  since  he  had  entered  the  service,  but 
in  receiving  the  appointment  of  executive  officer 
he  felt  amply  rewarded. 

He  was  young  in  years  for  so  responsible  a 
position,  but  he  had  no  fears  of  his  ability  to  per- 
form all  the  duties  required  of  him,  for  the  rou- 
tine of  ship  life  had  become  as  familiar  to  him  as 
"was  the  road  from  Lawrence   to   his  quiet  little 


30  FRANK   ON   THE   LOWER    MISSISSIPPI. 

home  on  the  banks  of  Glen's  Creek.  But  his 
promotion  did  not  affect  him  as  it  does  a  great 
many  who  suddenly  find  themselves  possessed  of 
power.  He  did  not  "  stand  upon  his  rank,"  and 
in  his  intercourse  Avith  his  messmates  endeavored 
to  keep  constantly  before  their  minds  the  fiict 
that  he  was  the  second  in  command.  Those  who 
have  been  in  the  service — especially  in  the  navy — 
will  recall  to  mind  incidents  of  this  character ;  but 
our  hero  never  forgot  the  respect  he  owed  to  his 
superiors,  and  his  conduct  toward  those  under 
him  was  marked  by  the  same  kindness  he  had 
always  shown  them. 

Frank  knew  that  he  had  something  of  a  task 
before  him.  Although  he  could  now  turn  into 
his  bunk  at  night  without  being  called  upon  to 
stand  his  regular  watch,  he  had  more  difficult 
duties  to  perform.  He  was  responsible  for  the 
manner  in  which  affairs  were  conducted  about 
decks,  for  the  neat  appearance  of  the  vessel  and 
of  the  men;  and  as  the  former  executive  officer 
had  been  rather  careless  in  this  respect,  Frank 
knew  that  his  first  move  must  be  made  in  that 
direction. 

For  the  next  two  days,  as  the  rebels  did  not 


A   NIGHT   EXPEDITION.  31 

trouble  them,  Frank  worked  early  and  late,  and 
the  results  of  his  labor  were  soon  made  apparent. 
Every  one  remarked  the  improved  appearance  of 
the  men,  who,  at  the  Sunday  morning  muster, 
appeared  on  deck  in  spotless  uniforms  and  well- 
blacked  shoes.  After  the  roll  had  been  called, 
and  the  captain,  in  company  with  Frank,  pro- 
ceeded to  inspect  the  vessel,  the  young  oflScer 
knew  that  his  improvements  had  been  appreciated 
when  the  former,  who  was  an  old  sailor,  said, 
with  a  smile  of  satisfiiction : 

*'  Mr.  Nelson,  this  begins  to  look  something  like 
a  ship,  sir.  This  really  looks  like  business.  The 
admiral  may  come  here  now  and  inspect  the  ves- 
sel as  soon  as  he  pleases." 

The  next  morning,  as  Frank  sat  at  the  table  in 
the  wardroom,  engaged  in  answering  the  letters 
he  had  received  by  the  dispatch-boat,  and  Archie 
was  in  his  office  straightening  out  his  books  and 
papers,  a  bullet  came  suddenly  crashing  through 
the  cabin — a  sifijnal  that  the  rebels  had  af]rain 
made  their  appearance.  Frank,  who  had  become 
accustomed  to  such  interruptions,  deliberately 
wiped  his  pen,  corked  his  ink-stand,  and  was  care- 
fully putting  away  his  letters,  when  there  was  a 


32  FRANK   ON   THE   LOWER   MISSISSIPPI. 

hurrying  of  feet  in  the  office ;  the  door  flew  open, 
and  Archie,  divested  of  his  coat,  bounded  into  the 
cabin,  exclaiming : 

"  A  fellow  can't  tell  when  he 's  safe  in  this 
country.  I  wish  I  was  back  in  the  fleet-paymas- 
ter's office.  I  would  n't  mind  a  good  fair  fight, 
but  this  thing  of  being  shot  at  when  you  least 
expect  it  is  n't  pleasant." 

As  Archie  spoke,  he  hurriedly  seized  a  gun 
from  the  rack,  which  had  been  put  up  in  the 
cabin  in  order  to  have  weapons  close  at  hand, 
and  sprang  up  the  ladder  that  led  into  the  pilot- 
house. Frank,  although  he  laughed  heartily  at 
his  cousin's  rapid  movements,  was  a  good  deal 
surprised,  for  he  had  always  believed  him  to  be 
possessed  of  a  good  share  of  courage.  It  would, 
however,  have  tried  stronger  nerves  than  Archie's; 
but  men  who  had  become  familiar  with  such 
scenes,  who  had  learned  to  regard  them  merely 
as  something  disagreeable  which  could  not  be 
avoided,  could  not  sympathize  with  one  in  his 
situation,  and  many  a  wink  was  exchanged,  and 
many  a  laugh  indulged  in,  at  the  expense  of  the 
"green  paymaster." 

When  Frank  had  put  away  his  writing  mate- 


A   NIGHT   EXPEDITION.  33 

rials,  he  ran  below  to  see  that  the  ports  were  all 
closed;  after  which  he  returned  to  the  wardroom, 
and,  securing  a  rifle,  went  into  the  pilot-house, 
where  he  found  Archie  engaged  in  reloading  his 
gun,  while  the  officers  were  complimenting  him  on 
a  fine  shot  he  had  just  made. 

"Mr.  Nelson,"  exclaimed  the  doctor,  as  Frank 
made  his  appearance,  "  I  guess  your  white  horse- 
man  is  done  for  now.  The  paymaster  lifted  him 
out  of  his  saddle  as  clean  as  a  whistle." 

Frank  looked  out  at  one  of  the  ports,  and,  sure 
enough,  there  was  the  white  horse  running  rider- 
less about,  and  his  wounded  master  was  being 
carried  behind  the  levee.  The  officers  continued 
to  fire  as  often  as  a  rebel  showed  himself,  but  the 
latter  seemed  to  have  lost  all  desire  for  fiditino', 
for  they  retreated  to  the  plantation-house  which 
stood  back  from  the  river,  out  of  range  of  the 
rifles,  where  they  gathered  in  a  body  as  if  in 
consultation,  now  and  then  setting  up  defiant 
yells,  which  came  faintly  to  the  ears  of  those  in 
the  pilot-house. 

"They  are   saucy  enough   now  that   they  are 
out  of  harm's  way,"  said  Archie,  turning  to  his 
cousin,     But  the  latter  made  no  reply.     He  stqod 
3 


34  FRANK   ON   THE   LOWER   MISSISSIPPI. 

leaning  on  his  rifle,  gazing  at  the  guerrillas,  as  if 
busily  engaged  with  his  own  thoughts,  and  finally 
left  the  pilot-house  and  sought  an  interview  with 
the  captain. 

"  I  have  been  thinking,  sir,"  said  he,  as  he  en- 
tered the  cabin  and  took  the  chair  ojQTered  him, 
"that  if  that  house  out  there  had  been  burned 
long  ago,  we  should  not  have  had  ten  men  killed 
by  those  guerrillas.  They  seem  to  use  that  build- 
ing as  their  head-quarters,  and  if  it  could  be  de- 
stroyed they  would  cease  to  trouble  us." 

"  That 's  my  opinion,"  replied  the  captain. 
"But  who  is  to  undertake  the  job?  Who's  to 
go  out  there,  in  the  face  of  three  or  four  hundred 
rebels,  and  do  it?  /  can't,  with  a  crew  of  only 
fifty  men." 

"I  didn't  suppose  it  could  be  done  openly, 
sir ;  but  could  n't  it  be  accomplished  by  stratagem 
in  the  night,  for  instance?" 

The  captain  shook  his  head;  but  Frank,  who 
was  not  yet  discouraged,  continued: 

"I  have  not  made  this  proposition,  captain, 
without  thinkinor  it  all  over — without  takino^  into 
consideration  all  the  chances  for  and  against  it — • 
and  I  still  think  it  could  be  accomplished." 


A   Nir.IIT   EXPEDITION.  85 

"Well,  how  would  you  go  to  work?"  asked  the 
captain,  settling  back  in  his  chair  with  the  air  of 
a  man  who  had  made  his  decision,  from  which  he 
was  not  to  be  turned. 

Frank  then  proceeded  to  recount  the  plans  he 
had  laid  for  the  accomplishment  of  his  object,  to 
which  the  captain  listened  attentively,  and  when 
Frank  had  ce'ased,  he  rose  to  his  feet  and  paced 
the  cabin.  He  knew  that  the  young  officer  had 
before  engaged  in  expeditions  similar  to  the  one 
he  now  proposed,  when,  in  carrying  out  his  de- 
signs, he  had  exhibited  the  skill  and  judgment  of 
a  veteran.  In  the  present  instance,  his  plans 
were  so  well  laid,  that  there  appeared  to  be  but 
little  chance  for  failure.  After  a  few  moments' 
consideration,  the  captain  again  seated  himself, 
and  said: 

"  "VV.ell,  Mr.  Nelson,  it  shall  be  as  you  propose. 
If  you  succeed,  I  am  certain  that  this  guerrilla 
station  will  be  broken  up;  if  you  fail,  it  will 
only  be  what  many  a  good  officer  has  done  before 

you." 

"I  assure  you,  sir,  I  shall  leave  no  plan  un- 
tried to  insure  my  success,"  replied  Frank,  as  he 
left  the  cabin. 


36  FRANK    ON    THE    LOWER   MISSISSIPPI. 

"  What 's  the  matter  now  ?  "  inquired  Archie,  as 
his  cousin  entered  the  wardroom.  "Been  getting 
a  blowing  up  ah'eady  ? " 

"Oh,  no!"  replied  Frank.  "Come  in  here,  and 
I  '11  tell  you  all  about  it ;  "  and  he  drew  Archie 
into  the  office,  where  he  proceeded  to  tell  him  all 
that  had  been  determined  upon.  When  he  had 
finished,  the  latter  exclaimed : 

"I  want  to  go  with  you.  Will  you  take 
me?" 

Frank  thought  of  Archie's  behavior  but  a  few 
moments  before,  and  wondered  what  use  he  could 
posssibly  be  in  an  expedition  like  the  one  pro- 
posed. 

"If  you  do  go,"  he  answered,  at  length, 
"  you  '11  be  sorry  for  it.  It  requires  those  who 
are  accustomed  to  such  business;  and  you  have 
never  been  in  an  action  in  your  life.  The  under- 
taking is  dangerous." 

"  I  do  n't  care  if  it  is,"  answered  Archie. 
"  That 's  just  the  reason  why  I  want  to  go — to 
be  with  you ;  and  I  warrant  you  I  '11  stick  to  you 
as  long  as  any  body." 

"  Besides,"  began  Frank,  "  if  any  thing  should 
happen  to  you" 


A   NIC.IIT    EXPEDITION.  37 

"I'm  just  as  likely  to  get  back  as  you  are," 
replied  Archie,  excitedly,  "and  I  want  to  go/' 

After  considerable  urging,  Frank  finally  asked 
and  obtained  permission  for  Archie  to  accompany 
the  expedition,  at  which  the  latter  was  over- 
joyed. He  was  very  far  from  reahzing  the  dan- 
ger there  was  in  the  undertaking,  and  had  as 
little  idea  of  what  would  be  required  of  him  as  he 
had  of  the  moon. 

The  cousins  passed  the  afternoon  in  the  pilot- 
house, watching  the  movements  of  the  guerrillas 
through  spy-glasses,  studying  the  "  lay  of  the 
land,"  the  directions  in  which  the  different  roads 
ran  —  in  short,  nothing  was  omitted  which  they 
thought  mifirht  be  useful  for  them  to  know.  Just 
before  night  a  storm  set  in ;  the  wind  blew,  and 
the  rain  fell  in  torrents;  and,  although  Frank  re- 
garded it  as  something  in  their  favor,  under  any 
other  circumstances  he  would  have  preferred 
tumbling  into  bed  to  venturing  out  in  it.  The 
hammocks  were  not  piped  as  usual,  but  all  hands 
were  to  remain  on  deck  during  the  night,  to  be 
ready  to  lend  assistance  in  case  it  was  required. 
At  ten  o'clock  the  cutter  lay  alongside  the  ves- 
sel, the  crew  were  in  their  places,  and  Frank  and 


38  FRAXK    ON    THE    LOWER    MISSISSIPPI. 

his  cousin,  surrounded  by  the  officers  who  had 
assembled  to  see  them  off,  stood  on  the  guards 
ready  to  start. 

"Paymaster,"  said  Frank,  turning  to  his  cousin, 
"hadn't  you  better  remain  on  board?"  (He  ad- 
dressed him  as  paymaster,  for,  of  course,  it  would 
have  been  contrary  to  naval  rules  to  call  him  by 
his  given  name  in  the  presence  of  the  captain.) 

"No,  sir,"  answered  Archie,  quickly  buttoning 
up  his  pea-jacket  with  a  resolute  air.  "  Do  you 
suppose  I  'm  going  to  back  out  now  ?  If  you  do, 
you  are  mistaken.  I  'm  not  afraid  of  a  little 
rain." 

Frank  made  no  reply,  but,  after  shaking  hands 
with  the  captain  and  officers,  followed  his  cousin 
into  the  cutter,  which  floated  off  into  the  darkness 
amid  the  whispered  wishes  for  "good  luck"  from 
all  the  ship's  company  who  had  witnessed  its  de- 
parture. Frank  took  the  helm,  and  turned  the 
boat  down  the  river.  Not  an  oar  was  used,  for 
the  young  officer  did  not  know  but  the  rebels  had 
posted  sentries  along  the  bank,  whom  the  least 
splashing  in  the  water  would  alarm.  Archie  sat 
beside  his  cousin,  with  his  collar  pulled  up  over 
his  ears,  and  his  hands  thrust  into  the  pockets  of 


A   NIGHT   EXPEDITION.  39 

his  pea-jacket,  heartily  wishing  that  Frank  had 
chosen  a  pleasanter  night  for  their  expedition. 
For  half  an  hour  they  floated  along  with  the  cur- 
rent in  silence,  until  Frank,  satisfied  that  he  had 
gone  far  enough  down  the  river  to  get  below  the 
sentries,  if  any  were  posted  on  the  bank,  gave  the 
order  to  use  the  oars,  and  turned  the  cutter's  head 
toward  the  shore,  which  they  reached  in  a  few 
moments. 

The  crew  quietly  disembarked,  and  as  the  sail- 
ors gathered  about  him,  Frank  said, 

"Now,  men,  I'm  going  to  leave  you  here  until 
the  paymaster  and  myself  can  go  up  to  the  house, 
and  accomplish  what  we  have  come  for.  Tom," 
he  added,  turning  to  the  coxswain  of  the  cutter, 
"  you  will  have  charge  of  the  boat,  and  remember 
you  are  in  no  case  to  leave  her.  We  may  be  dis- 
covered, and  get  into  a  fight.  If  we  do,  and  are 
cut  off  from  the  river  and  unable  to  get  back,  I  '11 
•whistle,  and  you  will  at  once  answer  me,  so  that 
I  may  know  that  you  hear  me,  and  pull  off  to  the 
vessel.  We  '11  take  care  of  ourselves.  -  Do  you 
understand  ?  " 

The  crew  of  the  cutter  were  old  sailors — men 
who  had  followed  the  sea  through  storm  and  sun- 


40  FRANK    ON    THE    LOWER   MISSISSIPPI. 

shine  all  their  lives.  They  had  been  in  more  than 
one  action,  too,  during  the  rebellion,  and  had 
gladly  volunteered  for  the  expedition,  supposing 
that  they  were  to  accompany  Frank  "wherever  he 
■VN-ent.  During  the  short  time  the  latter  had  been 
on  board  the  Boxer,  they  had  become  very  much 
attached  to  him.  Although  he  was  a  very  strict 
officer,  and  always  expected  every  man  to  do  his 
duty  promptly,  he  always  treated  them  with  the 
greatest  kindness,  and  never  spoke  harshly  to 
them.  This  was  so  different  from  the  treatment 
they  had  usually  received  at  the  hands  of  their 
officers,  that  it  won  their  hearts;  and,  although 
they  admired  his  courage,  they  would  have  felt 
much  better  pleased  had  they  received  orders  to 
accompany  him. 

"  Do  n't  you  understand,  Tom  ? "  again  asked 
Frank,  seeing  that  the  coxswain  hesitated. 

"Oh,  yes,  sir,"  replied  the  sailor,  touching  his 
hat;  "I  understand,  sir.  But,  Mr.  Nelson,  may 
I  be  so  bold  as  to  ask  one  question  —  one  favor, 
I  may  say  ?  " 

"  Certainly ;  speak  it  out,"  answered  Frank,  who 
little  imagined  what  thoughts  were  passing  through 
the  minds  of  his  men.     "What  is  it?     Do  you 


A  NIGHT   EXPEDITION.  41 

wish  to  go^  back  to  the  ship,  and  leave  us  here 
alone?" 

"No,  sir,"  answered  all  the  men  in  a  breath. 

"Mr.  Nelson,"  said  the  coxswain,  "I  never  jet 
refused  duty  because  there  w^as  danger  in  it,  and 
I  'm  too  old  a  man  to  begin  now.  You  have  here, 
sir,  twelve  as  good  men  as  ever  trod  a  ship's  deck, 
and  you  know,  sir,  that  when  you  passed  the  word 
for  volunteers  for  this  expedition,  you  did  n't  have 
to  call  twice.  But  we  all  thought  that  we  should 
go  with  you  to  the  end ;  and,  to  tell  the  truth,  sir, 
we  do  n't  like  the  idea  of  you  and  the  paymaster 
going  off  alone  among  them  rebels.  You  are 
sure  to  get  into  trouble,  and  we  want  to  go  with 

you." 

On  more  than  one  occasion  had  Frank  been 
made  aware  of  the  affection  his  men  cherished  for 
him,  and  he  felt  as  proud  of  it  as  he  did  of  the 
uniform  he  wore;  but  he  had  never  been  more 
affected  than  he  was  on  the  present  occasion. 

"Men,"  he  answered,  in  a  voice  that  was  none 
of  the  steadiest,  "  I  assure  you  I  appreciate  the 
interest  you  take  in  my  welfare,  and  were  I  going 
to  fight,  I  should  certainly  take  you  with  me;  but 
Bometimes  two  can  accomplish  more  than  a  dozen. 


42  FRANK    ON   THE   LOWER   MISSISSIPPI. 

Besides,  I  promised  the  captain  that  I  would  leave 
you  here,  and  I  must  do  so.  Now,  remember  and 
pull  off  to  the  vessel  if  you  hear  me  whistle." 

"Yes,  sir,"  replied  the  coxswain;  "but  it'll  be 
the  first  time  I  ever  deserted  an  officer  in  trouble." 

The  sailors  were  evidently  far  from  being 
pleased  with  this  arrangement,  but  they  were 
allowed  no  opportunity  to  oppose  it,  even  had 
they  felt  inclined  to  do  so,  for  Frank  and  his 
cousin  speedih"  disappeared  in  the  darkness. 


ARCHIE    IN   A    PREDICAMENT.  43 


CHAPTER    III. 

j^^^^^^S  soon  as  the  young  officers  had 
m\i^  reached  the  top  of  the  bank,  they 
paused  to  take  their  bearings,  and 
to  select  some  landmark  that  would 
enable  them  to  easily  find  the  boat 
again.  A^vay  oflf  in  the  darkness 
they  saw  the  twinkling  of  a  light, 
which  they  knew  was  in  the  house  which  the 
guerrillas  were  using  as  their  head-quarters. 

"Now,  Archie,"  said  Frank,  "take  a  good  look 
at  this  big  tree  here"  (pointing  to  the  object  in 
question)  "so  that  you  will  know  it  again.  The 
boat  lies  in  the  river  exactly  in  a  line  with  that 
tree.  Now,  if  you  should  be  separated  from  me 
and  discovered,  make  straight  for  the  cutter.  But 
if  you  arc  cut  off  from  it,  run  up  the  river  until 


44  FRANK   ON    THE    LOWER    MISSISSIPPI. 

you  get  a  little  above  where  the  vessel  lies,  and 
then  jump  in  and  swim  out  to  her.  Do  you  un- 
derstand?" 

"Yes,"  replied  Archie. 

"Be  careful  of  your  weapons,"  continued  his 
cousin,  "and  keep  them  dry  and  ready  for  in- 
stant use.  Do  n't  be  captured — whatever  you  do, 
do  n't  be  captured!" 

"  I  '11  look  out  for  that,"  answered  Archie. 
"But,  Frank,"  he  continued,  "why  did  you  tell 
the  men  to  pull  back  to  the  vessel  if  we  should 
be  cut  off  from  the  river?  I  should  think  that 
would  be  just  the  time  you  would  want  them  to 
remain." 

"Why,"  replied  Frank,  "the  very  first  thing 
the  rebels  would  think  of,  if  we  were  discovered, 
would  be  to  capture  our  boat,  and  while  part  of 
them  were  after  us,  the  others  would  run  to  the 
river  and  gobble  up  boat,  crew,  and  all.  Then 
they  would  know  that  we  were  still  on  shore,  and 
would  scour  the  country  to  find  us.  But  if  the 
boat  s:oes  off  to  the  vessel,  the  rebels  will  be  more 
than  half  inclined  to  believe  that  we  have  gone  off 
too,  and,  consequently,  will  not  take  the  pains  to 
hunt  us  which  they  would  do   if  they  knew  we 


ARCHIE    IN   A    PREDICAMENT.  45 

Tvcre  still  on  shore.     But  let  us  be  moving;  we've 
no  time  to  waste." 

Frank  started  toward  the  house,  carefully  pick- 
ing his  way  over  the  wet,  slippery  ground,  now 
and  then  pausing  to  listen,  and  to  reconnoiter  as 
well  as  the  darkness  would  permit,  and  finally 
stopped  scarcely  a  stone's  throw  from  the  build- 
ing. Not  a  guerrilla  had  they  seen.  Not  dream- 
ing that  the  "yankee  gun-boatmen"  would  have 
the  audacity  to  attack  them  when  they  knew  the 
rebels  were  so  far  superior  in  numbers,  the  latter 
had  neglected  to  post  sentries,  and  Frank  was  sat- 
isfied that  their  approach  had  not  been  discovered. 

''Now,  Archie,"  said  he,  as  they  drew  up  be- 
hind a  tree  for  concealment,  ''  you  stay  here,  and 
I'll  see  if  I  can  set  fire  to  that  house." 

"There  are  people  in  it,"  said  his  cousin;  "I 
just  saw  a  man  pass  by  that  window  where  the 
light  is." 

"  Then  they  must  look  out  for  themselves,"  an- 
swered Frank.  "That's  what  we  have  to  do 
when  they  shoot  into  our  cabin.  Now,  you  stay 
here,  and  if  you  hear  any  shooting,  run  for  the 
boat." 

"What  will  you  do?"  asked  Archie. 


46  FRANK    ON    THE    LOWER   MISSISSIPPI. 

"Oh,  I'll  take  care  of  myself.     Good-bye." 

As  Frank  spoke  he  moved  silently  toward  the 
house,  and  was  soon  out  of  sight. 

"  Now,"  soliloquized  Archie,  "  I  am  to  stay 
here,  am  I?  That's  what  I  was  ordered  to  do, 
but  I  don't  know  whether  I'll  obey  or  not.  It 
is  evident  Frank  left  me  here  to  keep  me  out  of 
harm's  way.  Perhaps  he  thinks  that  because  I 
have  never  smelt  powder,  I  am  a  coward;  but  I'll 
show  him  that  I  am  not.'' 

So  saying,  Archie  stepped  out  from  behind  his 
tree,  and  walked  slowly  toward  the  house.  "When 
he  arrived  opposite  the  window  from  which  the 
light  shone,  he  stopped  and  looked  in.  He  did 
not,  however,  go  up  close  to  the  window,  or  he 
certainly  would  have  been  seen;  but  he  remained 
standing  at  a  respectful  distance,  so  that  he  would 
have  some  chance  for  escape,  in  case  he  should 
be  discovered. 

The  sight  that  met  his  gaze  would  have  been 
sufficient  to  deter  most  men  from  attempting  to 
burn  the  house.  The  room  was  filled  with  men, 
some  of  whom  were  lying  on  the  floor  on  their 
blankets,  others  sitting  around  the  table,  and  one 
or  two  were  walking  about  the  apartment.     In  the 


ARCHIE   IN   A   PREDICAMENT.  47 

corner  stood  tlieir  arms,  ready  to  be  seized  at  a 
moment's  warning.  And  this  was  but  one  of  the 
rooms;  perhaps  the  whole  house  was  filled  with 
guerrillas. 

"My  eye!"  said  Archie  to  himself,  "what  a 
hornet's  nest  would  be  raised  about  our  ears,  if 
we  should  be  discovered." 

Ilis  heart  beat  faster  than  usual,  as  he  moved 
back  from  the  window,  and  walked  silently  around 
to  the  other  side  of  the  house.  Here  also  was  a 
window,  from  which  a  light  shone,  and  as,  like  the 
other,  it  was  destitute  of  a  curtain,  every  thing 
that  went  on  within  could  be  plainly  seen  by 
Archie,  who  took  his  station  behind  some  bushes 
that  stood  at  a  little  distance  from  the  house. 
The  room  had  three  occupants,  whom  Archie  at 
once  set  down  as  ofiicers.  One  of  them  carried 
his  arm  in  a  sling.  lie  was  a  tall,  powerful- 
looking  man,  and  Archie  recognized  in  him  the 
darins  rider  of  the  white  horse — the  chief  of  the 
guerrillas. 

"I  wonder  what  the  old  chap  would  say  if  he 
knew  I  was  about,"  thought  Archie — "I,  who 
gave  him  that  wound.  I'd  be  booked  for  Shreve- 
port,  certain." 


48  FRANK    ON    THE   LOWER   MISSISSIPPI. 

He  was  interrupted  in  his  meditations  by  the 
movements  of  the  officers,  who  arose  and  ap- 
proached the  door,  bringing  their  chairs  with 
them.  The  storm  had  ceased,  and  as  there  was 
no  longer  any  necessity  of  remaining  in  the 
house,  the  rebels  were,  no  doubt,  moving  to 
cooler  quarters.  Archie  at  once  thought  of  re- 
treating; but  the  thought  had  scarcely  passed 
through  his  mind,  when  the  door  opened,  the 
rebels  walked  out  on  the  portico,  and  seating 
themselves  in  their  chairs,  deposited  their  feet  on 
the  railing;  -while  the  young  officer  stretched  him- 
self out  behind  the  bush,  heartily  wishing  that  he 
could  sink  into  the  ground  out  of  sight. 

"A  very  warm  evening,  colonel,"  said  one  of 
the  rebels,  fanning  himself  with  his  hat. 

^'Yery,"  answered  the  guerrilla  chief,  gently 
moving  his  wounded  arm,  little  dreaming  that  the 
one  who  gave  him  that  wound  was  at  that  very 
moment  lying  behind  the  bushes  into  which  he 
had  just  thrown  the  stump  of  his  cigar.  "It's 
very  warm.  I  wish  I  had  that  rascally  Yank  that 
shot  me,"  he  added;  "  this  wound  is  very  painful.'' 

Archie  upon  hearing  this  was  almost  afraid  that 
the  beating  of  his  heart,  which  thumped  against 


ARCHIE    IN   A    PREDICAMENT.  49 

his  ribs  Avitli  a  noise  that  frightened  him,  would 
certainly  reveal  to  the  rebels  the  fact  that  the 
"rascally  Yank"  was  then  in  their  immediate  vi- 
cinity. 

"But,  if  our  plans  work,"  continued  the  colo- 
nel, "in  less  than  a  week  from  this  time  they  will 
all  be  on  the  way  to  Shreveport." 

"^lay  I  ask,  colonel,"  said  the  one  who  had 
not  yet  spoken,  "how  soon  those  boats  will  be 
ready?" 

"Major  Jackson  reports  that  they  will  be  fin- 
ished by  to-morrow  night,  and  it  will  take  all  of 
one  day  to  run  them  down  the  creek  to  the  river." 

"  Then  by  Thursday  evening,"  said  the  one  who 
had  first  spoken,  "we  may  be  ready  to  make  the 
attempt." 

"Yes,  if  the  night  is  favorable." 

"But,  colonel,  all  these  gun-boats  are  supplied 
with  hot  water,  and  that,  you  know,  is  the  \7orst 
kind  of  an  enemy  to  fight.  Men  will  run  from 
that  who  wouldn't  flinch  before  cold  steel." 

"Oh,  we  must  take  the  Yanks  by  surprise,  of 
course.  The  boats  will  hold  fifty  men  each,  and 
we  nmst  drop  down  the  river  so  that  we  will  land 
one  on  each  side  of  the  vessel.     If  the  ni^ht  is 


50  FRANK    OX    THE    LOWER    MISSISSIPPI. 

dark — and  we  shall  not  make  the  attempt  unless 
it  is — we  can  get  within  pistol-shot  of  her  before 
we  are  discovered,  and  by  the  time  their  men  get 
fairly  out  of  bed  she 's  ours.  Hark  !  Avhat  noise 
was  that  ?  " 

The  rebels  listened  for  a  moment,  and  one  of 
them  replied: 

"I  didn't  hear  any  thing." 

*'Well,  I  did,"  returned  the  colonel,  "and  it 
sounded  very  much  like  some  one  shouting  for 
help.     I'm  certain  I  heard  it." 

Archie,  who  lay  in  his  conc,ealment,  trembling 
like  a  leaf,  was  also  confident  that  lie  had  heard 
something  that  sounded  like  a  call  for  assistance. 
"What  if  it  was  Frank  in  danger,  and  shouting  to 
the  cutter's  crew  for  help  ?  The  thought  to  Archie 
was  a  terrible  one,  and  he  forgot  the  dangers  of 
his  own  situation,  and  thought  only  of  his  cousin. 
But  if  Frank  was  in  trouble,  why  did  he  not 
give  the  signal  to  the  cutter's  crew?  Archie 
waited  and  listened  for  it,  but  did  not  hear  it 
given. 

While  these  thoughts  were  passing  through  his 
mind,  the  rebels  sat  on  the  portico  listening,  and 
at  length  the  colonel  said: 


ARCHIE   IN   A    PREDICAMENT.  5l 

*'I  know  I  hear  something  now,  but  it  is  the 
tramping  of  a  horse.  I  suppose  it  is  Tibbs, 
coming  with  the  mail." 

The  colonel's  surmise  proved  to  be  correct,  for 
in  a  few  moments  a  man  rode  up,  and  dismount- 
ing so  close  to  Archie  that  the  latter  could  have 
touched  him,  tied  his  horse  to  the  very  busji 
which  formed  his  concealment;  then,  throwing  a 
pair  of  well-filled  saddle-bags  across  his  shoulder, 
he  ran  up  the  steps,  sa^'ing: 

"  Good  evening,  gentlemen.  "What !  colonel,  are 
you  wounded?"  he  added,  on  seeing  the  rebel's 
bandaged  arm. 

*'  Yes ;  this  makes  four  times  I  have  been  shot 
while  in  the  service.     But  how  is  the  mail  ? " 

"Rather  heavy,"  answered  the  man.  "If  you 
have  any  letters  to  go,  you  will  have  to  furnish 
another  bag — these  are  full." 

"All  right,"  said  the  colonel;  then  raising  his 
voice,  he  called  out,  "Bob!  Bob!  Where  is  that 
black  rascal?" 

"Ileyar,  sar,"  answered  a  voice,  and  presently 
a  negro  came  around  the  corner  of  the  house, 
and  removing  his  tattered  hat,  stood  waiting  for 
orders. 


52  FRANK    ON    THE    LOWER   MISSISSIPPI. 

"Bob,"  said  the  colonel,  "tell  Stiles  that  the 
mail  is  all  ready  to  go  across  the  river." 

Stiles!  How  Frank  would  have  started  could 
he  have  heard  that  name !  He  would  have  known 
then,  had  he  not  before  been  aware  of  the  fact, 
that  he  was  again  among  Colonel  Harrison'' s  Lou- 
isiana Wild-cats. 

The  negro,  in  obedience  to  his  orders,  disap- 
peared, but  soon  returned,  with  the  intelligence 
that  Stiles  was  not  to  be  found. 

"Not  to  be  found,"  echoed  the  colonel  ;  "that's 
twice  he  has  failed  me.  But  this  mail  must  not 
be  delayed.     Tell  Damon  I  want  to  see  him." 

The  negro  again  disappeared,  and  in  a  few 
moments  came  back  with  a  soldier,  to  whom  the 
colonel  said: 

"Damon,  here  's  a  mail  that  must  go  across  the 
river  to-night.     Can  you  pull  an  oar?" 

"Yas,"  rephed  the  man. 

"Then  get  some  one  to  go  with  you,  and 
start  at  once.  The  skiff,  you  know,  is  in  the 
creek,  just  above  where  that  Yankee  gun-boat 
lies." 

"Yas,"  answered  the  man  again,  as  he  took  the 
mail-bags  which  the  colonel  handed  him. 


ARCHIE    IN    A    PREDICAMENT.  53 

"This  ono,"  continued  the  rebel,  pointing  to  a 
small  canvas  bag  which  one  of  his  officers  had 
just  brought  out  of  tho  house — "this  one  con- 
tains my  mail — all  ollicial  documents,  to  go  to 
Richmond.  Be  car^^ful  of  it.  Do  n't  let  the  Yan- 
kees get  hold  of  you." 

"  No,"  replied  the  soldier,  as  he  shouldered  the 
mail  and  disappeared. 

The  conversation  that  followed,  of  which  Archie 
heard  every  word,  served  to  convince  him  that, 
although  the  rebels  kept  up  a  bold  front,  and  ap- 
peared sanguine  of  success  in  their  attempts  to 
destroy  the  Government,  yet  among  themselves 
they  acknowledged  their  cause  to  be  utterly  hope- 
less unless  some  bold  stroke  could  be  made  to 
"dishearten  the  Yankees." 

In  spite  of  Archie's  dangerous  situation,  which 
had  tried  his  nerves  severely,  he  listened  to  every 
w^ord  that  was  uttered,  and  even  became  inter- 
ested in  what  the  rebels  were  saying.  Now  and 
then  he  was  called  to  a  sense  of  his  situation  by 
the  movements  of  the  horse,  which,  being  restive, 
came  very  near  stepping  on  him  as  he  pranced 
about. 

Damon  had  been  gone  about  half  an  hour,  and 


54  FRANK    ON   THE    LOWER    MISSISSIPPT. 

the  colonel  had  just  commenced  explaining  to  the 
man  who  had  brought  the  mail  the  manner  in 
which  the  capture  of  the  Boxer  was  to  be  effected, 
when  suddenly  the  report  of  a  pistol  startled 
every  one  on  the  portico.  A  moment  afterward 
came  another,  which  was  followed  by  a  yell  of 
agony. 

""What's  that?"  exclaimed  the  colonel,  spring- 
ing- from  his  chair  in  alarm.  "Are  we  attacked? 
Get  out  there,  every  mother's  son  of  you  ! "  he 
continued,  as  the  men,  having  been  aroused  by 
the  noise,  came  pouring  out  of  the  rooms  in  which 
they  were  quartered.  "Every  man  able  to  draw 
a  saber  get  out  there !  Run  for  the  river !  That 's 
where  the  reports  sounded,  and  if  there  are  any 
boats  there  capture  them.  That  will  keep  the 
Yankees  on  shore,  and  we  can  hunt  them  up  at 
our  leisure!" 

The  men  ran  out  of  the  house  and  started  for 
the  river  at  the  top  of  their  speed,  at  the  same 
time  yelling  with  all  the  strength  of  their  lungs, 
while  the  colonel  and  his  officers  ran  into  their 
room,  and  hastily  seizing  such  weapons  as  came 
first  to  their  hands,  followed  after.  To  describe 
Archie's  feelings,  as  he  lay  there  behind  that  bush 


ARCHIE   IX   A    PREDICAMENT.  55 

and  listened  to  the  sounds  of  pursuit,  were  im- 
possible. The  noise  the  rebels  made  seemed  to 
bewilder  him  completely,  for  he  lay  on  the  ground 
several  moments,  it  seemed  to  him,  without  the 
power  to  move  hand  or  foot. 

Suddenly  the  thought  struck  him  that  now  was 
the  time  to  accomplish  the  object  of  the  expedi- 
tion. The  house  was  deserted,  and  the  yells, 
which  grew  fainter  and  fainter,  told  him  that  the 
rebels  were  getting  further  away.  Yes,  it  was 
now  or  never.  In  an  instant,  Archie's  courage 
and  power  of  action  returned.  Springing  to  his 
feet,  he  ran  to  the  end  of  the  portico,  on  w^hich 
were  piled  several  bales  of  hay  and  bundles  of 
fodder,  which  the  rebels  no  doubt  intended  for 
their  horses.  But  Archie  determined  that  they 
should  be  put  to  a  different  use,  for  he  quickly 
drew  from  his  pocket  two  large  bottles  filled  with 
coal  oil,  which  he  threw  over  the  hay.  He  then 
applied  a  match,  and  in  an  instant  it  was  in 
a  blaze.  He  waited  a  moment  to  see  it  fairly 
started,  and  then  sprang  off  the  portico.  As  he 
passed  the  door,  he  heard  an  ejaculation  of  sur- 
prise, followed  by  the  report  of  a  pistol,  and  the 
noise  of  a  bullet  as  it  whizzed  past  his  head.     It 


56  FRANK    ON    THE    LOWER   MISSISSIPPI. 

frightened  him,  and  at  the  same  time  acted  upon 
him  as  the  crack  of  a  whip  does  upon  a  spirited 
horse;  for  when  the  rebel  who  fired  the  shot  had 
reached  the  portico,  Archie  had  disappeared  in 
the  darkness. 


A   MARK   FOR   THE    UNION. 


57 


CHAPTER    IV. 

Mnxi  for  ih  %iwn, 

ET  us  now  return  to  Frank,  whom  we 
left  setting  out  for  the  house,  after 
having  given  Archie  emphatic  in- 
structions to  remain  behind  the  tree 
until  his  return.  He  did  not  feel  at 
all  at  his  ease  after  he  had  left  his 
cousin,  for  he  might  have  stationed 
him  in  the  most  dangerous  place  that  could  have 
been  found;  and  what  if  Archie  should  be  dis- 
covered and  captured?  He  was  well  enough 
acquainted  with  his  cousin's  disposition  to  know 
that  he  would  not  surrender  without  a  fight ;  but 
-what  could  he  do  when  opposed  by  a  regiment 
of  veteran  rebels?  Frank  thought  not  of  his  own 
peril,  for  that  was  something  he  had  fully  ex- 
pected to  encounter  before  he  started.  This  was 
not  the  first  time  he  had  voluntarily  placed  him- 


58  FRANK   ON   THE    LOWER   MISSISSIPPI. 

self  in  danger ;  but  with  Archie  the  case  was 
different;  and  Frank  was  several  times  on  the 
point  of  returning  to  his  cousin  and  making  use 
of  his  authority,  as  commander  of  the  expedition, 
to  send  him  back  to  the  boat.  By  the  time  these 
thoughts  had  passed  through  his  mind,  he  had 
reached  a  log-cabin  which  stood  at  a  little  dis- 
tance from  the  house;  and  as  he  halted  behind 
it,  to  shelter  himself  from  the  storm,  still  debating 
upon  the  course  he  ought  to  pursue  in  regard  to 
Archie,   some   one   inside   the   cabin   commenced 


"I'll  lay  ten  dollars  down, 
And  chuck  'em  up  one  by  one!" 

If  there  was  any  more  of  the  song,  the  rebel 
evidently  did  not  know  it,  for  he  kept  singing 
these  two  lines  over  and  over,  now  and  then  vary- 
ing the  monotony  of  the  performance  by  whist- 
ling. Frank  stood  for  some  moments  listening  to 
him,  and  finally  began  moving  cautiously  around 
the  cabin,  to  find  some  opening  through  which  he 
could  look  and  see  what  was  going  on  inside.  He 
presently  discovered  a  hole  between  the  logs, 
and,  upon  looking  in,  saw  a  man  seated  on  the 


A    MARK    FOR   THE    UNION.  59 

floor  before  a  fire-place,  in  which  burned  some 
pine  knots,  engaged  in  whittling  out  an  oar  with 
his  bowie-knife.  On  the  floor  near  him  lay  one 
evidently  just  finished.  At  the  opposite  side  of 
the  room  stood  a  bag,  from  the  mouth  of  which 
peeped  several  letters. 

A  thought   struck  Frank — which  would  be  of 
the  most  benefit,  to  burn  the  house  or  to  capture 
the  mail,  which  might  contain  information  of  the 
greatest    importance?      Undoubtedly    the    latter 
would  be  of  the  most  consequence.     Then  he  de- 
bated long   and    earnestly  upon   the   chances  of 
escaping   with    the    mail,    should   he    attempt   its 
capture.     The  man  who  had  charge  of  it  was  a 
most   powerful-looking   fellow,  who   knowing   the 
importance  of  his  trust,  and  the  certainty  of  re- 
ceiving prompt  and  eff*ective   assistance   from  his 
comrades,  would,  no  doubt,  fight  most  desperately, 
unless  he  could  be  taken  at  disadvantage  and  se- 
cured before  he  had  time  to  think  of  resistance. 
Besides,  the  cabin  was  scarcely  fifty  feet  distant 
from  the  house,  which  Frank  knew  was  filled  with 
men,  for  he  could  hear  them  walking  about  the 
rooms  and  talking  to  each  other.     The  least  un- 
usual noise  would  certainly  alarm  them,  in  which 


60  FRANK   ON   THE   LOWER   MISSISSIPPI. 

case  escape  "would  be  entirely  out  of  the  question. 
Frank,  we  snj,  thought  over  all  these  things,  and 
finally  coming  to  the  conclusion  that  it  would  be 
worse  than  useless  to  attempt  the  capture  of  the 
mail,  turned  his  attention  to  the  house.  How 
was  he  to  set  fire  to  it? 

Frank,  we  know,  was  not  wanting  in  courage, 
but  he  had  learned,  by  experience,  that  there  are 
times  when  "discretion  is  the  better  part  of  valor." 
When  he  proposed  the  expedition,  he  had  not  ex- 
pected to  find  the  entire  regiment  quartered  in 
the  house.  He  had  supposed  that  the  men  would 
find  sleeping-rooms  in  the  negro  quarters,  which 
were  nearly  a  half  mile  back,  while  the  house 
would  be  reserved  for  the  officers.  But  the  rebels 
surely  would  not  remain  up  all  night,  and  when 
they  had  all  gone  to  bed  would  be  the  time  to 
execute  his  purpose.  He  would  not  abandon  his 
project  until  he  had  given  it  a  trial,  or  fully  satis- 
fied himself  that  the  undertaking  was  utterly  im- 
practicable. For  the  present,  he  would  remain 
where  he  was;  something  might  "turn  up"  which 
would  be  to  his  advantage. 

At  this  moment  a  man  entered  the  cabin,  the- 
door  of  which  stood  open,  and  inquired : 


A   MARK   FOR   THE    UNION.  61 

"Going  over  to-night,  Stiles?" 

Frank  was  thunderstruck,  and  he  now  saw  the 
necessity  of  attempting  nothing  unless  it  promised 
complete  success.  As  the  reader  has  already 
learned,  he  was  among  his  old  enemies,  the  Wild- 
cats. Upon  making  this  discovery  he  was  both 
astonished  and  alarmed — astonished,  for  it  seemed 
to  him  that  he  could  scarcely  make  a  move  in  any 
direction  without  being  confronted  by  the  redoubt- 
able Wild-cats.  This  was  the  second  time  he  had 
found  himself  among  them  before  he  was  aware  of 
it.  He  was  alarmed,  because  he  knew,  by  experi- 
ence, the  treatment  he  would  receive  if  he  should 
fall  into  their  hands  without  the  prospect  of  an 
immediate  excha-nge. 

But  his  attention  was  again  drawn  to  the  men 
in  the  cabin. 

"Yes,"  replied  Stiles,  in  answer  to  his  compan- 
ion's question,  "I'm  going  over  to-night — allers 
makin'  due  'lowance  for  beine  ketched  by  the 
Yanks." 

"Here's  some  mail,  then,"  continued  the  man, 
thrusting  several  letters  into  the  bag.  "How  soon 
do  you  start?" 

"Jest  as  soon   as  Tibbs   comes  with   the  up- 


62  FRANK    ON   THE    LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

country  mail,  an'  I  get  the  kernel's  letters.  AVas 
you  takin'  a  chaw  of  tobaker,  Bob?" 

"No,  I  wasn't,"  replied  the  other,  quickly 
thrusting  his  hand  into  his  pocket,  as  if  to  pro- 
tect the  precious  article.    /'  Tobacco  is  scarce." 

"Now,  Bob,"  said  Stiles,  "I  know  you've  got 
some.     Me  an'  you's  allers  been  good  friends." 

The  rebel  could  not  withstand  this  appeal,  al- 
though he  produced  his  "plug"  very  reluctantly, 
and  as  he  handed  it  to  his  companion,  said: 

"Stiles,  you're  a  dead  beat.  Go  easy  on  that, 
now,  if  you  please,  because  it's  all  there  is  in  the 
regiment." 

The  rebel  cut  off  a  huge  piece  of  the  weed,  and, 
thrusting  it  into  his  cheek,  went  on  with  his  work, 
while  Bob  returned  to  his  quarters.  He  had 
scarcely  quitted  the  cabin  before  Frank  had  all 
his  plans  laid.  He  would  go  back  after  Archie, 
and  together  they  would  lie  in  wait  on  the  bank 
of  the  river,  and,  if  possible,  capture  that  mail. 
AYith  this  determination,  he  was  moving  slowly 
away  from  the  cabin,  when  a  door,  which  he  had 
not  before  noticed,  suddenly  opened,  and  Stiles 
came  out,  and  turning  the  corner,  stood  face  to 
face  with  Frank,  and  scarcely  an  arm's  length  from 


A   MARK   FOR   THE    UNION.  63 

him.  With  the  hitter,  retreat  without  discovery 
was,  of  course,  impossible.  There  -was  but  one 
course  he  couhl  pursue,  and  that  presented  but  a 
small  chance  for  success.  He  was,  however, 
allowed  no  time  for  deliberation,  for  the  rebel, 
quickly  recovering  from  his  surprise,  turned  to 
run;  but  with  one  bound  Frank  overtook  him, 
and  throwing  him  to  the  ground,  caught  him  by 
the  throat,  stifling  a  cry  for  help  that  arose  to  his 
lips.  This  it  was  that  had  alarmed  the  colonel 
and  Archie;  and  had  the  former  investigated  the 
matter,  Frank  would  again  have  been  a  prisoner 
in  the  hands  of  the  Wild-cats. 

Stiles  struggled  desperately  to  free  himself 
from  the  strong  grasp  that  held  him,  until  Frank 
pulled  one  of  his  revolvers  from  the  pocket  of  his 
pea-jacket  and  presented  it  at  his  head. 

"  Do  you  surrender  ? "  he  asked,  releasing  his 
hold  of  the  rebel's  throat. 

"Yes,"  replied  Stiles,  faintly.  "Don't  shoot, 
Yank!" 

"  You  shall  not  be  harmed  if  you  behave  your- 
self.    Have  you  any  weapons?" 

"  No  !     They  are  all  in  the  shanty  ! " 

Frank,  after  searching  the  rebel's  pockets  and 


64  FRANK    OX    THE    LOWER   MISSISSIPPI. 

satisfying  himself  of  the  truth  of  this  statement, 
continued : 

"  Get  up !  Now,  I  know  you  have  friends  all 
around  you,  but  if  you  have  the  least  desire  to 
live,  you'll  not  make  any  noise;  although  you 
may  alarm  the  camp,  it  will  not  save  you.  Do 
■you  understand?" 

"  Have  I  got  a  pair  of  ears  ?  "  asked  the  rebel. 

"  "Well,  if  you  have,  you  hear  what  I  say,"  re- 
turned Frank.  "Now  go  this  way,"  he  added, 
pointing  toward  the  river. 

The  rebel,  who  had  a  wholesome  fear  of  the 
revolver  which  Frank  held  in  his  hand,  ready 
cocked,  obeyed,  without  the  slightest  hesitation, 
and  they  reached  the  bank  of  the  river,  where  the 
cutter  lay,  without  being  discovered. 

"Now,"  said  Frank,  "I  want  to  ask  you  a  few 
questions.  Where  do  you  keep  the  boat  in  which 
you  were  going  to  carry  that  mail  ? " 

"In  the  creek,  jest  above  where  that  ar'  gun- 
boat lies,  replied  Stiles." 

"How  many  of  you  were  to  go?" 

"Two — me  an'  another  feller." 

"  Well,  now,  the  colonel  wont  find  you  when  he 
wants  you.     What  will  he  do?" 


A   MARK    FOR   THE   UNION.  65 

*'  Oh)  he  '11  send  some  body  else.  The  mail  must 
go,  an'  it  makes  no  odds  who  takes  it,  so  long  as 
he  don't  get  ketched." 

"That's  all  I  want  to  know,"  said  Frank. 
Then,  going  to  the  top  of  the  bank,  he  called  out: 

"  Tom,  come  up  here !  " 

The  coxswain  soon  made  his  appearance,  and 
Frank  said : 

"  Now,  Stiles,  you  're  a  prisoner." 

"Dog  gone  ef  I  keer,"  he  replied,  "so  long  as 
I  get  plenty  of  grub  an'  tobaker." 

The  rebel  was  marched  down  the  bank,  and 
Frank  again  bent  his  steps  toward  the  house,  in- 
tending to  find  his  cousin,  and,  with  his  assistance, 
to  capture  the  mail.  When  he  arrived  at  the  tree 
where  he  had  left  Archie,  the  latter  was  not  to  be 
seen.  This,  however,  did  not  give  him  any  un- 
easiness, for  Archie,  he  thought,  had  doubtless 
gone  back  to  the  cutter.  Frank  had  already 
made  up  his  mind  to  go  back  after  him,  when  he 
saw  a  man  walk  up  to  the  cabin  in  which  he  had 
first  discovered  the  man  who  was  now  his  pris- 
oner, and  heard  him  call  out : 

"Massa  Stiles!  de  mail  all  ready,  sar!" 

Receiving  no  answer,  the  negro  walked  into  the 
5 


66  FRANK   ON   THE   LOWER   MISSISSIPPI. 

cabin,  but  finding  it  vacant,  went  out  to  make  the 
report  to  the  colonel  that  Stiles  "was  not  to  be 
found.  From  this  Frank  knew  that  he  had  no 
time  to  lose.  Stiles  had  told  him  that  some  one 
else  would  be  sent  with  the  mail,  and  as  it  was  all 
ready,  a  man  would  soon  be  found  to  take  his 
place.  If  he  went  back  after  Archie,  he  might 
be  too  late.  He  must  attempt  it  alone,  and  un- 
aided. Walking  out  frotQ  behind  the  tree,  he 
started  toward  the  creek,  where  lay  the  boat  in 
which  the  mail  was  to  be  carried. 

The  creek  he  found  without  difficulty;  but  the 
boat  was  evidently  hidden  away,  for  he  searched 
up  and  down  the  bank  for  it  without  success.  If 
he  found  it,  it  was  his  intention  to  cut  it  loose, 
and  allow  it  to  drift  out  into  the  river,  thus  de- 
priving the  rebels  of  the  means  of  carrying  their 
mail.  But  failing  in  this,  he  ran  up  the  bank,  and 
awaited  the  coming  of  the  rebels.  It  was  a  haz- 
ardous undertaking  to  attempt  the  capture  of  two 
men,  both  of  whom  were,  no  doubt,  well  armed; 
but  Frank  had  great  confidence  in  the  looks  of  his 
revolvers,  and  hoped  to  accomplish  his  object 
without  alarming  the  rebels  in  the  house. 

He  had  waited  perhaps  a  quarter  of  an  hour, 


A   MARK    FOR   THE    UNION.  67 

"when  he  heard  footsteps  approaching,  and  pres- 
ently he  discovered  the  two  men  for  whom  he 
had  been  watching.  One  carried  the  mail-bags, 
and  the  other  a  pair  of  oars,  the  same,  no  doubt, 
which  Stiles  had  but  a  sliort  time  before  com- 
pleted. Frank  waited  until  they  were  almost 
upon  him,  and  then  sprang  up  with  a  revolver  in 
each  hand,  which  he  pointed  straight  at  the  heads 
of  the  men,  exclaimi'ng  : 

"You're  my  prisoners.  Don't  make  any  re- 
sistance." 

The  rebels  were  astonished,  and  the  man  who 
carried  the  mail-bags  threw  them  down  and  held 
his  arms  above  his  head,  in  token  of  surrender. 
But  the  other,  after  regarding  the  officer  for  a 
moment,  as  if  to  make  sure  that  it  was  a  human 
being  with  whom  he  had  to  deal,  dropped  his  oars, 
and  before  his  captor  was  aware  of  his  intention, 
drew  a  pistol  and  fired.  Frank  felt  a  sharp  pain 
in  his  left  shoulder,  and  the  revolver  which  he 
held  in  that  hand  fell  from  his  grasp.  He  had 
received  his  first  wound,  but  although  thoroughly 
frightened,  he  did  not  lose  his  presence  of  mind. 
If  he  had,  he  Avould  soon  have  been  recalled  to  a 
sense  of  his  dangerous   situation,  for  the   rebel 


68  FRANK   ON   THE   LOWER   MISSISSIPPI. 

af^ain  cocked  liis  revolver;  but  this  time  Frank 
fired  first,  and  the  rebel  sank  to  the  ground  with 
a  loud  yell.  In  an  instant  Frank  turned  upon 
the  other;  but  he  appeared  to  be  too  much  under 
the  influence  of  fear  to  lend  his  comrade  any 
assistance. 

All  thought  of  concealment  was  now  out  of  the 
question.  The  rebels  in  the  house  had,  of  course, 
been  alarmed,  and  Frank's  only  chance  for  escape 
with  his  prisoner  and  the  mail  was  to  reach  the 
cutter  as  soon  as  possible,  and  pull  ofi"  to  the  ves- 
sel. Hastily  relieving  the  prisoner  of  his  weapons, 
he  du-ected  him  to  pick  up  the  mail  and  follow  the 
course  he  pointed  out. 

The  prisoner  did  as  he  was  ordered ;  but  they 
had  not  gone  far  when  a  loud  yelling  announced 
that  the  rebels  in  the  house  had  been  alarmed,  and 
were  in  pursuit.  Frank  kept  close  behind  his 
prisoner,  who,  through  fear  of  the  revolver,  ran  at 
a  rapid  rate,  but  they  had  further  to  run  to  reach 
the  cutter  than  the  guerrillas,  and  the  latter  gained 
rapidly.  The  prisoner,  who  was  not  long  in  dis- 
covering this,  slackened  his  pace  considerably, 
although  he  appeared  to  be  doing  his  utmost. 
Frank,  however,  was  not  deceived.     Thrusting  his 


A    MARK    FOR   THE    UNION.  69 

revolver  into  his  pocket,  he  seized  the  rebel  by 
the  nape  of  the  neck,  and  helped  him  over  the 
ground  in  a  manner  more  rapid  than  agreeable. 
Had  the  man  been  aware  of  the  fact  that  his  cap- 
tor had  but  one  arm  that  he  could  use,  he  might 
not  have  submitted  so  quietly  as  he  did.  Frank, 
"whose  whole  mind  was  wrapped  up  in  the  idea  of 
saving  his  prisoner  and  the  mail,  did  not  stop  to 
think  of  this,  but  pushed  his  man  ahead  to  such 
good  advantage  that  they  succeeded  in  reaching 
the  cutter  before  their  pursuers.  He  marched 
the  rebel  down  the  bank  in  the  most  lively  man- 
ner, and  tumbled  him  into  the  boat,  where  he  was 
instantly  seized  and  secured. 

The  sailors,  who  had  heard  the  noise  of  the 
pursuit,  and  waited  impatiently  for  the  appear- 
ance of  their  officer,  were  all  in  their  places,  and 
as  Frank  sprang  in,  he  shouted  : 

"  Shove  off — lively  now,  lads  !" 

The  cutter  was  speedily  pushed  from  the  shore, 
and  the  oars  got  out  and  handled  by  twelve  strong 
fellows,  all  good  oarsmen. 

"Let  fall  —  give  away  together,"  again  com- 
manded Frank,  who,  in  spite  of  the  pain  of  his 
wound,  began   to   chuckle  over  his  good  luck  in 


70  FRANK   ON    THE    LOWER   MISSISSIPPI. 

securing  the  mail.  "  The  rebs  will  give  us  a  vol- 
ley," he  continued,  "  unless  we  get  out  of  sight  in 
the  darkness  before  they  reach  the  bank.  So, 
pick  her  up,  lads,  and"  walk  right  away  with 
her." 

The  sailors,  understanding  the  order,  and  re- 
joicing in  the  escape  of  their  young  officer,  whose 
safety  and  well-being  they  regarded  as .  infinitely 
of  more  importance  than  their  own,  gave  way 
manfully  on  the  muffled  oars,  which  made  no 
sound  as  they  bent  beneath  the  sturdy  strokes, 
and  the  cutter  flew  noiselessly  through  the  water. 
The  rebels  reached  the  bank  but  a  few  moments 
after  the  cutter  had  left,  but  neither  seeing  nor 
hearing  any  thing  of  her,  they  contented  them- 
selves with  uttering  their  yells,  and  firing  a  volley 
into  the  darkness  in  the  direction  they  supposed 
the  boat  had  gone. 

But  their  attention  was  soon  called  to  another 
quarter,  for  a  bright  flame  shot  up  from  the  house. 
The  boat's  crew  saw  it,  and  could  scarcely  refrain 
hurrahing  ;  but  knowing  that  they  were  not  yet  out 
of  range  of  the  guerrillas'  rifles,  they  gave  vent  to 
their  jubilant  feelings  by  redoubling  their  efi'orts 
p-t  the  oars. 


A    MARK    FOR   THE   UNION.  71 

"  Mr.  Nelson,"  whispered  the  coxswain,  "  may 
I  be  allowed  to  say  that  was  well  done,  sir!" 

"  I  did  n't  do  that,  Tom,"  answered  Frank,  in  a 
faint  voice,  as  he  gazed  in  surprise  at  the  burning 
house,  and  thought  of  his  cousin.  "Is  Paymaster 
Winters  in  the  cutter?" 

Frank  hardly  dared  to  ask  the  question,  for 
if  his  cousin  had  been  in  the  boat  he  would  have 
known  it  before  that  time. 

"  The  paymaster  ! "  repeated  the  coxswain  ; 
"  no,  sir.  He  went  away  with  you,  sir,  and  I 
have  n't  seen  him  since.  He  's  missing,  that 's  a 
fact." 

Frank  felt  ready  to  faint  on  hearing  this,  and 
very  bitterly  did  he  censure  himself  for  allowing 
his  cousin  to  accompany  him !  But  regrets  were 
useless ;  the  mischief  had  been  done,  and  could 
not  be  undone.  He  had  one  hope,  however,  to 
which  he  still  clung  —  that  Archie  might  be  on 
board  the  vessel.  Perhaps,  not  daring  to  attempt 
to  find  his  way  back  to  the  cutter,  through  fear 
of  capture,  he  had  swam  on  board  and  was  now 
safe.     He  would  soon  know. 

In  a  few  moments  they  had  reached  the  Boxer, 
3,nd  as  the  cutter  came  along  side,  Frank  seized 


72  FRANK    ON    THE    LOWER   MISSISSIPPI. 

the  mail-bags  and  sprang  out.  After  giving  the 
officer  of  the  deck,  who  met  him  at  the  gangway, 
instructions  in  regard  to  the  prisoners,  he  ran  up 
the  stairs  that  led  to  the  wardroom.  Here  he 
met  the  captain,  who,  taking  him  familiarly  by 
the  arm,  led  him  into  the  cabin,  exclaiming  : 

"Mr.  Nelson,  I  congratulate  you,  sir;  it  was 
well  done,  sir !     The  house  is  all  in  a  blaze." 

"  Captain,"  said  Frank,  "  I  did  n't  do  that,  sir. 
Is  the  pa^^master  on  board  ? 

"Why,  no,  sir;  not  unless  he  came  with  you." 

"I  haven't  seen  him,  captain,  since  I  left  him 
within  a  short  distance  of  that  house.  If  he  is 
not  on  board,  sir,  he  's  out  there  yet,  and  he  has 
fired  the  building." 

"Why,  Mr.  Nelson,"  exclaimed  the  captain,  for 
the  first  time  noticing  Frank's  pale  face  and  use- 
less hand,  from  which  the  blood  was  dripping, 
"you  are  wounded,  sir.  Orderly,  orderly,  send 
the  doctor  here  at  once." 


A   RUN   FOR   LIFE. 


73 


CHxiPTER    Y. 


^4 


RCIIIE  was  as  light  of  foot  as  an 
antelope,  and  fear  lent  him  wings. 
In  obedience  to  his  cousin's  instruc- 
tions, he  ran  up  the  river,  directing 
his  course  through  a  thick  woods, 
jumping  over  logs  and  making  his 
way  through  the  bushes  with  a  rapid- 
ity that  surprised  himself.  The  rebel  who  had 
discovered  him  followed  for  a  short  distance,  but 
finding  that  he  was  losing  ground,  he  stopped  and 
fired  his  revolver  in  the  direction  he  supposed 
Archie  had  gone;  but  the  bullets  went  wide  of 
the  mark,  and  the  latter,  who  now  regarded  his 
escape  as  a  thing  beyond  a  doubt,  laughed  when 
he  thought  how  cleverly  he  had  accomplished  the 
object  of  the  expedition. 


74  FRANK   ON    THE   LOWER   MISSISSIPPI. 

Havincr  reached  a  safe  distance  from  the  house, 
he  stopped  and  listened.  He  distinctly  heard  the 
crackling  of  flames,  and  presently  a  bright  light 
shone  over  the  trees.  The  building  was  fairly  in 
a  blaze.  He  was,  however,  allowed  scarcely  a 
moment  to  congratulate  himself,  for  the  yells  of 
the  guerrillas  plainly  told  him  that  they  had  dis- 
covered the  fire,  and  were  commencing  pursuit. 
Archie  again  set  out,  intent  on  reaching  clear 
ground  as  soon  as  possible,  for  he  knew  that  no 
plan  would  be  left  untried  to  capture  him.  His 
situation  Avas  still  any  thing  but  a  pleasant  one, 
but  he  was  sanguine  of  reaching  the  vessel  in 
safety,  until  a  long-drawn-out  bay  came  echoing 
through  the  woods,  and  drove  the  blood  back  upon 
his  heart.  The  rebels  were  following  him  with  a 
blood-hound! 

For  a  moment  Archie  staggered  as  though  he 
had  been  struck  a  severe  blow  by  some  unseen 
hand,  but  quickly  realizing  the  fact  that  his  safety 
depended  upon  his  own  exertions  and  the  use  he 
made  of  the  next  few  moments,  he  speedily  recov- 
ered his  presence  of  mind,  and  hastily  securing 
his  revolvers,. which,  up  to  this  time,  he  had  car- 
ried in  the  pockets  of  his  pea-jacket,  he  pulled  off 


A   RUN   FOR   LIFE.  75 

that  garment,  and  throwing  it  on  the  ground, 
started  oft'  at  the  top  of  his  speed. 

Being  thus  relieved  of  a  great  incumbrance,  he 
made  headway  rapidly,  but,  fast  as  he  ran,  he 
heard  that  dreadful  sound  coming  nearer,  mingled 
with  loud  yells  of  triumph  from  the  pursuing  rebels. 
He  had,  with  surprise  and  indignation,  listened  to 
Frank's  description  of  his  run  from  Shreveport, 
when  he  and  his  companions  had  been  pursued 
with  blood-hounds,  little  imagining  that  he  would 
ever  be  placed  in  a  similar  situation. 

And  how  did  it  happen  that  he  had  not  aroused 
the  hound  while  he  was  about  the  house?  Had 
he  moved  so  silently  that  the  animal  had  not 
,  heard  him,  or  had  he  been  in  the  building  with 
the  men?  This  question  Archie  could  not  an- 
swer. But  one  thing  w^as  certain,  and  that  was 
that  the  hound  was,  at  that  very  moment,  on  his 
trail,  and  unless  he  soon  reached  the  river  his 
capture  was  beyond  a  doubt.  He,  however,  had 
no  fears  of  being  overpowered  by  the  hound. 
He  fully  realized  the  fact  that  he  would  soon  be 
overtaken,  and  had  resolved  to  shoot  the  animal 
the  moment  he  made  his  appearance. 

The  yells  of  the  rebels  grew  fainter,  and  Archie 


76  FRANK    ON    THE    LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

knew  ke  was  gaining  on  them.  This  gave  him 
encouragement.  In  fact,  since  the  hound  had 
opened  on  his  trail,  after  the  first  momentary 
feeling  of  terror  had  vanished,  he  had  retained 
his  coolness  in  a  remarkable  degree,  and  had 
counted  over  his  chances  for  capture  and  escape 
with  surprising  deliberation  for  one  who  had  never 
before  been  placed  in  so  exciting  and  dangerous  a 
situation.  We  have  seen  that  he  felt  fear.  Had  it 
been  otherwise  he  must  have  possessed  nerves  of 
steel,  or  have  been  utterly  destitute  of  the  power 
of  reasoning;  but  that  fear  did  not  so  completely 
overpower  him  as  it  had  but  a  short  time  before, 
when  he  lay  behind  the  bush,  and  listened  to  the 
guerrilla's  plan  for  the  capture  of  the  Boxer  and- 
her  crew.  On  the  contrary,  it  nerved  him  to 
make  the  greatest  exertions  to  effect  his  escape. 

In  a  few  moments,  to  his  great  joy,  he  emerged 
from  the  woods  and  entered  an  open  field,  across 
which  he  ran  with  redoubled  speed.  Directly  in 
front  of  him  was  another  belt  of  timber,  and  be- 
yond that  lay  the  river,  which,  if  he  could  reach, 
he  would  be  safe.  The  baying  of  the  hound  had 
continued  to  grow  louder  and  louder,  and,  when 
Archie  had  accomplished   perhaps   half  the   dis- 


A   RUN   FOR   LIFE.  77 

tance  across  the  field,  a  crasliing  in  the  buslies 
and  an  impatient  bark  announced,  in  language  too 
plain  to  be  misunderstood,  that  the  hound  had 
discovered  him. 

In  an  instant  he  stopped,  faced  about,  and  drew 
one  of  his  revolvers.  Stooping  down  close  to  the 
ground,  he  finally  discovered  the  hound,  which 
approached  with  loud  yelps,  that  were  answered 
by  triumphant  cheers  from  the  pursuing  rebels. 
Waiting  until  the  animal  was  so  close  to  him  that 
he  presented  a  fair  mark,  Archie  raised  his  re- 
volver and  fired.  The  hound  bounded  into  the 
air,  and,  after  a  few  struggles,  lay  motionless  on 
the  ground.  Scarcely  waiting  to  witness  the 
effect  of  the  shot,  the  young  officer  sprang  to  his 
feet,  and  again  started  for  the  river.  The  yells 
of  the  rebels — who  had  heard  the  shot,  and  knew, 
from  the  silence  that  followed,  that  the  hound  was 
dead — again  arose  fierce  and  loud;  but  Archie, 
knowing  that  his  pursuers  had  now  lost  the  power 
of  following  him  with  certainty,  considered  the 
w^orst  part  of  the  danger  as  past. 

But  he  had  to  deal  with  those  who  could  not 
be  easily  deceived.  Colonel  Harrison,  knowing 
that  the  only  chance  for  escape  was  by  the  river, 


78  FRANK    ON   THE    LOWER   MISSISSIPPI. 

had  lined  the  banks  with  men,  and,  as  Archie 
neared  the  woods,  a  voice  directly  in  front  of  him 
called  out:  , 

''It's  all  up  now,  Yank!  Drop  that  shootin'- 
iron,  or  you  're  a  gone  sucker ! " 

Archie's  heart  fairly  -came  up  into  his  mouth. 
He  had  little  expected  to  find  an  enemy  in  that 
quarter,  but,  without  waiting  an  instant,  he  turned 
and  ran  up  the  river  again,  hoping  that  he  might 
soon  be  able  to  get  above  the  sentinels.  The 
rebel,  hearing  the  sound  of  his  footsteps,  and 
knowing  that  he  was  retreating,  shouted: 

"Halt,  Yank!  halt!  or  I'll  shoot— blamed  if  I 
don't!" 

And  he  did  shoot,  and  Archie  heard  the  bullet 
as  it  sung  through  the  air  behind  him. 

The  rebel,  without  stopping  to  load  his  gun, 
started  in  pursuit;  but  Archie,  who  was  running 
for  his  life,  soon  left  him  behind.  As  the  latter 
ran  he  heard  shots  fired  on  all  sides  of  him,  show- 
ing that  he  was  completely  surrounded. 

Escape  seemed  utterly  impossible;  and  fearing 
that  he  might  run  into  the  very  midst  of  the 
guerrillas  when  he  least  expected  it,  he  threw 
himself  behind  a  log  in  the  edge  of  the  woods, 


A    RUN   FOR   LIFE.  79 

and  a-svaited  tlie  issue  of  events  with  feelings  that 
can  not  be  described.  He  now  had  little  hope 
of  being  able  to  elude  his  })ursuers,  who,  he  was 
certain,  would  keep  the  river  closely  guarded 
until  daylight,  when  they  would  soon  discover  his 
hiding-place.  He  could  net  go  on  without  fear 
of  running  against  some  of  his  enemies,  in  the 
dark,  and  to  remain  where  he  was,  appeared 
equally  dangerous.  But  of  one  thing  he  was  cer- 
tain— and  as  the  thought  passed  through  his  mind, 
he  clutched  his  revolvers  desperately — and  that 
was,  if  he  was  captured,  it  would  require  more 
than  one  man  to  do  it. 

Presently  he  heard  footsteps  approaching,  and 
two  rebels  came  up.  One  of  them  he  knew,  by 
his  voice,  was  the  very  man  who  had  just  fired  at 
him. 

"I  know  he  went  this  yere  way,"  said  he. 

"Wal,  hold  on  a  minit,"  said  the  other,  panting 
loudly;  "let's  rest  a  leetle — I'm  nigh  gin  out;" 
and  he  seated  himself  so  close  to  Archie  that,  had 
it  been  daylight,  he  would  certainly  have  been 
discovered. 

"I'll  be  dooj-^one,"  said  the  one  who  had  first 
spoken,  "  ef  this  'ere  night's  work  don't  beat  all 


80  FRANK    ON   THE   LOWER   MISSISSIPPI. 

natur'.     Them  ar  Yanks  ain't  no  fools,  dog  ef 
they  ar!" 

"Who'd  a  thought  it?"  returned  his  compan- 
ion. "Them  ar  two  fellers  come  out  here  an' 
burn  a  house  with  more'n  three  hundred  men  in 
it?  Dog-gone!  But  how  did  that  other  feller  get 
away  ?  " 

"  Oh,  he  had  a  boat,"  answered  the  other,  "  an' 
he  got  thar  afore  we  could  ketch  him.  He  's  on 
board  his  gun-boat  afore  this  time.  I  jest  ketched 
a  glimpse  of  him  as  he  Avas  goin'  down  the  bank. 
He  had  Damon  by  the  neck,  an'  he  was  makin' 
him  walk  turkey,  now  I  tell  yer." 

"Damon  ketched!"  ejaculated  his  companion 
"An'  what's  come  on  the  kernel's  mail?" 

"Gone  up — the  hul  on  it!  Damon's  got  the 
bracelets  on  by  this  time.  But  come,  let's  go 
on." 

All  this  while  the  rebels  had  been  coming  up, 
and  Archie  could  hear  them  in  the  woods,  on  all 
sides  of  him,  yelling  and  swearing,  like  demons. 
He  had  one  source  of  consolation,  however — his 
cousin  was  safe ;  and,  judging  by  the  rebels'  con- 
versation, he  had  not  gone  back  to  the  vessel 
empty-handed. 


A    RUN    FOR  LIFE.  81 

Archie  lay  for  some  time  listening  to  the  move- 
ments of  the  rebels,  almost  afraid  to  breathe  lest 
it  should  be  overheard,  Avhen  he  was  suddenly 
startled  by  a  stunning  report,  which  was  followed 
by  a  hissing  and  shrieking  in  the  air;  a  bright 
light  shone  in  his  eyes  for  an  instant,  and  the 
next,  the  woods  echoed  with  the  bursting  of  a 
shell.  The  guerrillas  had  scarcely  time  to  recover 
from  their  astonishment  when  there  came  another, 
and  another,  each  one  followed  by  groans  and 
cries  of  anguish  that  made  the  young  officer 
shudder. 

Frank  Nelson  had  gained  the  Boxer  in  safety, 
and  although  surprised  and  alarmed  at  the  ab- 
sence of  Archie — who,  he  thought,  would  make  the 
best  of  his  w^ay  back  to  the  vessel  when  left  to 
himself — he  kncAV  by  the  yelling  of  the  rebels, 
and  the  pistol-shots  that  were  occasionally  heard, 
that  they  had  not  yet  captured  him.  The  noise  of 
the  chase  plainly  told  the  Boxer's  crew  that  the 
fugitive  was  making  the  best  of  his  way  up  the 
river,  and  Frank  had  opened  fire  on  the  rebels  to 
create,  if  possible,  a  diversion  in  his  cousin's  favor. 
His  shells  were  thrown  with  fatal  accuracy,  and 
the  guerrillas,  taken  completely  by  surprise,  and 
6 


82  FRANK    OX    THE    LOWER    MISSISSIPPI. 

having  no  levee   to   protect  them,  beat  a  hasty 
retreat. 

Although  threatened  by  a  new  clanger,  Arcliie 
was  so  overjoyed  that  he  could  scarcely  refrain 
from  shouting,  and  as  soon  as  he  was  satisfied 
that  his  pursuers  were  out  of  hearing,  he  crawled 
from  his  concealment  and  ran  toward  the  river. 
The  shells  still  kept  dropping  into  the  woods  at 
regular  intervals,  making  music  most  pleasant  to 
Archie's  ears,  for  he  knew  that  as  long  as  the  fire 
was  continued,  his  chances  for  escape  were  in- 
creased. But  in  his  eagerness  he  never  thought 
of  the  men  who  had  been  posted  on  the  bank,  and 
as  he  dashed  through  the  woods,  several  shots 
were  fired  at  him  by  the  rebels  concealed  in  the 
bushes.  But  he  reached  the  water  in  safety,  and 
struck  out  for  the  vessel.  A  few  random  shots 
were  fired  at  him,  which  Archie  heard  as  they 
whistled  past  him ;  but  his  good  fortune  had  not 
deserted  him,  and  he  again  escaped  unhurt.  The 
reports  of  the  guns  on  board  the  Boxer  pointed 
out  the  direction  in  which  he  was  to  go,  and  in 
a  quarter  of  an  hour  he  was  within  hailing-dis- 
tance  of  the  vessel.  The  splashing  he  made  in 
the  water  soon  attracted  the  attention  of  the  sentry 


A   RUN    FOR   LIFE.  83 

on  the  forecastle,  who,  having  been  instructed  by 
Frank,  had  kept  a  good  look-out;  A  rope  was 
thrown  to  Archie,  who  was  pulled  on  board  the 
vessel  in  a  state  of  complete  exhaustion. 

Frank  was  soon  informed  of  the  safe  return  of 
his  cousin,  and  Archie,  almost  too  weak  to  speak 
plainly,  was  carried  to  his  room,  where,  after  being 
divested  of  his  wet  clothes,  he  was  put  to  bed,  and 
left  in  a  sound  sleep.  The  next  morning,  how- 
ever, he  appeared  in  the  mess-room,  as  lively  as 
ever,  and  none  the  worse  for  his  long  run ;  while 
Frank,  who  began  to  suffer  from  his  wound,  was 
confined  to  his  bed. 

The  latter  listened  to  his  cousin's  narration  of 
the  part  he  had  borne  in  the  expedition,  and  in 
admiration  of  Archie's  bravery,  forgot  the  lecture 
he  had  intended  to  administer.  The  ofiicers,  who 
had  not  expected  such  an  exhibition  of  courage  in 
one  whose  cheek  had  blanched  at  the  whistle  of  a 
rebel  bullet,  were  astonished,  and  it  is  needless  to 
say  that  no  more  jokes  were  indulged  in  at  the 
expense  of  the  "  green  paymaster." 

For  two  months  Frank  held  his  position  as  ex- 
ecutive officer  of  the  Boxer,  during  which  time  the 
vessel  was  twice  inspected  by  the  admiral.     He 


84  FRANK    ON    THE    LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

now  had  little  to  do  beyond  the  regular  routine 
of  ship  duties,  for  the  guerrilla-station  had  been 
broken  up  by  the  burning  of  the  plantation-house, 
and  vessels  were  seldom  fired  into  on  the  Boxer's 
beat.  But  this  was  not  to  continue  long,  for,  one 
day,  the  dispatch-boat  brought  orders  for  him  to 
report  on  board  the  Michigan — which  lay  at  the 
mouth  of  Red  River — as  executive  ofiicer  of  that 
vessel. 

This  Tvas  still  another  advancement,  for  the 
Michigan  was  an  iron-clad,  mounted  fourteen  guns, 
and  had  a  crew  of  one  hundred  and  seventy  men. 
But  Frank  would  have  preferred  to  remain  in  his 
present  position.  After  considerable  hard  work, 
he  had  brought  the  Boxer's  crew  into  an  admir- 
able state  of  discipline;  every  thing  about  decks 
went  off  as  smoothly  as  could  be  desired,  and  be- 
sides, Archie  was  on  board,  and  he  did  not  wish 
to  leave  him.  But  he  never  hesitated  to  obey  his 
orders,  and  as  soon  as  he  had  packed  his  trunk, 
and  taken  leave  of  his  messmates,  he  went  on 
board  the  dispatch-boat,  and  in  a  few  days  arrived 
at  his  new  vessel. 

The  captain  of  the  Michigan  had  written  to  the 
admiral,  requesting  that  a  "  first-class,  experienced 


A    RUN   FOR   LIFE.  85 

officer"  might  be  sent  liiiii  for  an  executive;  Lut 
Avhen  Frank  presented  himself  and  produced  his 
orders,  that  gentleman  was  astonished.  After  re- 
garding the  young  officer  sharply  for  a  moment, 
he  said: 

"The  admiral,  no  doubt,  knows  his  o,wn  busi- 
ness, but  let  m.e  tell  you,  young  man,  that  you 
have  no  easy  task  before  you." 

He  no  doubt  thought  that  a  person  of  Frank's 
years  was  utterly  incapable  of  filling  so  responsi- 
ble a  position.  The  latter,  with  his  usual  modesty, 
replied  that  he  would  endeavor  to  do  his  duty,  and 
after  he  had  seen  his  baggage  taken  care  of,,  he 
went  into  the  wardroom,  where  he  found  a  young 
officer  seated  at  the  table  reading.  He  arose  as 
Frank  entered,  and  thrusting  out  his  hand,^  greeted 
him  with — 

"I'm  glad  to  meet  you  again,  Mr.  Nelson,  and 
among  friends,  too." 

It  was  George  Le  Dell,  the  escaped  prisoner, 
whom  he  had  met  during  his  memorable  flight  from 
Shreveport.  Frank  had  not  seen  him,  nor  even 
heard  of  him^  since  he  had  left  him  on  board  the 
Ticonderoga;  but  here  he  was,  "among  the  de- 
fenders of  the  Old  Flag"  again,  in  fulfillment  of  the 


86  FRANK    ON    THE    LOWER   MISSISSIPPI. 

promise  he  had  made  his  rebel  father,  in  the  letter 
which  Frank  had  read  to  his  fellow  fugitives  in  the 
woods,  where  they  had  halted  for  the  day.  He 
was  not  changed — his  face  still  wore  that  sorrowful 
expression — and  Frank  found  that  he  rarely  took 
part  in  the  conversation  around  the  mess-table. 
He  was  an  excellent  officer,  the  especial  favorite 
of  the  captain,  and  beloved  by  all  his  messmates, 
who,  very  far  from  suspecting  the  cause  of  his 
quiet  demeanor,  called  him  "  Silence," 

Frank  heartily  returned  his  cordial  greeting, 
and  the  two  friends  talked  for  a  long  time  of 
scenes  through  which  they  had  passed  together — 
subjects  still  fresh  in  their  memories — until  the 
entrance  of  an  officer  put  a  stop  to  the  conversa- 
tion. Frank  understood,  by  this,  that  he  w^as  the 
only  one  of  the  ship's  company  who  knew  any 
thing  of  George's  past  history. 

The  change  from  the  cool,  comfortable  quarters 
of  the  Boxer  to  the  hot  wardroom  of  the  iron- 
clad was  not  an  agreeable  one;  but  Frank  was 
not  the  one  to  complain,  and  he  entered  upon  his 
duties  with  his  accustomed  cheerfulness  and  alac- 
rity.    He  was  allowed  vei-y  little  rest.     The  cap- 


A    RUN   FOR   LIFE.  87 

tain  of  the  Michigan — which  was  the  flag-ship  of 
the  third  district  of  the  squadron — was  a  reguhir 
officer,  who  believed  in  always  keeping  the  men 
busy  at  something,  and  Frank  was  obliged  to  be 
on  his  feet  from  morning  until  night.  The  decks 
were  scrubbed  every  day,  the  bright  work  about 
the  guns  and  engines  cleaned,  the  small  boats 
washed  out,  and  then  came  quarters,  and  drilling 
with  muskets  or  broad-swords.  After  this,  if 
there  was  nothing  else  to  be  done,  the  outside  of 
the  vessel  was  scrubbed,  or  the  chimneys  repainted. 
In  short,  the  Michigan  was  the  pattern  of  neat- 
ness, and  her  crew,  being  constantly  drilled,  knew 
exactly  what  was  required  of  them,  and  were 
ready  for  any  emergency. 

For  several  months  little  occurred  to  relieve 
the  monotony  of  ship-life  beyond  making  regular 
trips  from  one  end  of  their  beat  to  the  other;  but 
when  spring  opened,  gun-boats  and  transports, 
loaded  with  soldiers,  began  to  assemble,  and  prep- 
arations were  made  for  the  Red  River  expedition. 
At  length  every  thing  was  ready,  and  one  pleas- 
ant morning  the  gun-boats  weighed  their  auchora 
and  led  the  way  up  the  river. 


88  FRANK    ON   THE   LOWER   MISSISSIPPI. 

Frank  stood  on  deck  as  tlie  vessels  steamed 
along,  and  could  not  help  drawing  a  contrast  be- 
tween his  present  position  and  the  one  in  which 
he  was  placed  when  he  first  saw  Red  River. 
Then,  he  and  his  companions  were  fugitives  from 
a  rebel  prison;  they  had  been  tracked  by  blood- 
hounds, and  followed  by  men  at  whose  hands,  if 
retaken,  they  could  expect  nothing  but  death. 
He  remembered  how  his  heart  bounded  with  joy 
on  the  morning  when  he  and  his  associates,  in 
their  leaky  dug-out,  had  arrived  in  sight  of  the 
Mississippi.  Then,  he  was  ragged,  hatless,  and 
almost  shoeless,  weary  with  watching,  and  living 
in  constant  fear  of  recapture.  Now,  he  was  among 
friends,  the  Old  Flag  waved  above  him,  and  he 
was  the  second  in  command  of  one  of  the  finest 
vessels  in  the  squadron. 

The  passage  up  the  river  w^as  without  incident 
worthy  of  note,  and  in  a  short  time  they  arrived  at 
the  obstructions  which  the  rebels  had  placed  in 
the  river  nine  miles  below  Fort  De  Russy.  A 
vast  amount  of  time  and  labor  had  been  expended 
upon  these  obstructions,  but  they  were  speedily 
cleared  away,  and  the  fleet  passed  on.     They  had 


A   RUN   FOR   LIFE.  89 

expected  a  stubborn  resistance  at  the  fort,  but  it 
had  been  captured  by  the  arpiy  after  a  sliort 
engagement,  and  the  gun-boats  kept  on  to  Alex- 
andria. 


90  FRANK    ON    THE   LOWER   MISSISSIPPI. 


CHAPTER    VI. 

xumh  imriB  Bdtdiht. 

DAY  or  two  after  the  arrival  of 
"^^^^^^^  the  fleet  at  Alexandi'ia,  it  became 
^  ^■^  V ,«-  l^nown  that  several  persons  belong- 
ing to  the  rebel  secret  service  were 
hovering  about  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
village,  with  the  intention  of  destroy- 
ing some  of  the  vessels  by  torpedoes — 
contrivances  made  to  resemble  pieces  of  coal- 
which  were  to  be  placed  in  those  barges  out  of 
which  the  boats  were  supplied  with  fuel.  By 
some  means  the  names  of  these  persons  became 
known  to  the  admiral,  who  issued  a  general  order, 
calling  on  all  the  officers  of  the  squadron  to  kill 
or  capture  them  wherever  found. 

The  same  day  the  order  was  issued   Frank  ob- 
tained shore  liberty,  and  while  roaming  about  the 


FRANK    TURNS    DETECTIVE.  91 

town,  espied  a  iiume  on  a  si«^n  that  immediately 
attracted  his  attention.  It  was  one  of  the  names 
borne  in  the  general  order. 

"  There  's  one  of  the  rascals,  now,"  soliloquized 
Frank,  "  or,  rather,  where  he  has  been.  I  wonder 
where  he  is.  I'll  see  if  I  can't  find  out  some- 
thing about  him.  If  he  could  be  caught,  he  would 
be  put  in  a  place  where  he  wouldn't  lay  any 
more  plans  to  blow  up  Union  gun-boats." 

The  sign  wliich  had  attracted  his  attention  bore 
the  name  and  occupation  of  the  individual  in 
question—"  S.  W.  Abbott,  Chemist." 

The  store  had  been  closed  on  the  approach  of 
the  Union  forces,  and  was  now  in  the  possession 
of  several  army  surgeons  and  their  assistants,  who 
were  overhauling  its  contents,  and  appropriating 
whatever   they   thought   might   be  of  service   to 
them.     A  negro  was  leaning  against  the  counter, 
and  of  him  Frank  inquired — 
"Boy,  do  you  belong  here?" 
"No,  sar,"  he  answered,  indignantly;  "I  'longs 
nowhar.     I  'se  a  free  man,  I  is.     I  'se  a  soger." 
"Never  been  in  this  town  before?" 
"  No,  sar." 
Frank  left  the  store,  and  walked  slowly  up  the 


92  FRANK    ON    THE    LOWER   MISSISSIPPI. 

street  toward  the  hotel,  wondering  where  he  could 
go  to  make  inquiries  concerning  the  man  whom  he 
"wished  to  find.  It  was  evident  that  this  was  the 
hardest  task  he  had  yet  undertaken.  He  knew 
the  rebel's  name,  and  that  was  all.  He  had  no 
idea  how  he  looked,  and,  although  the  admiral's 
order  stated  that  he  was  loitering  about  the  village, 
he  might,  at  that  moment,  be  fifty  miles  away,  or 
Frank  might  have  already  passed  him  on  the 
street. 

There  were  several  men  dressed  in  butternut 
clothes  hanging  about  the  hotel,  and  Frank  de- 
termined to  enter  into  conversation  with  one  of 
them,  and,  if  possible,  learn  something  about  Ab- 
bott. An  opportunity  was  soon  ofi'ered,  for  one 
of  the  butternuts  approached  him,  and  inquired — 

"Got  any  Northern  money — greenbacks?" 

"Some,"  replied  Frank. 

"  Wal,"  continued  the  man,  "  I  '11  give  you  five 
dollars  in  Confederate  money  fur  one  dollar  in 
greenbacks.     Is  it  a  bargain  ?  " 

"  Confederate  money ! "  repeated  Frank.  "  Of 
what  use  would  it  be  to  me?  And  I  am  greatly 
mistaken  if  it  will  be  of  use  to  you  much  longer." 

"Wal,  I  want  your  money  fur  a  keepsake,"  re- 


FlRANK    TURNS    DETECTIVE.  93 

plied  the  man.  I  know  you-uns  do  n't  like  our 
money,  but  we-uns  hev  got  to  use  it  or  go  without 
any." 

"Well,  I'll  trade,"  said  Frank.  "Your  paper 
will  no  doubt  be  a  curiosity  to  the  folks  at  home." 
As  he  spoke,  he  produced  the  dollar,  and  the  but- 
ternut drew  out  of  his  capacious  pocket  a  huge  roll 
of  bills — tens,  twenties,  and  fifties,  enough  to  have 

made  him  independent  if  it  had  been  good  money 

and  selecting  a  five-dollar  bill,  handed  it  to  Frank, 
who  thrust  it  carelessly  into  his  pocket. 

"I'll  allow  that  you-uns  don't  seem  to  be  a 
bad  lot  of  fellers,"  said  the  butternut;  "but  I 
do  n't  see  what  you-uns  want  to  come  doAvn  hvar 
to  fight  we-uns  for.  We-uns  never  done  nothing 
to  you-uns." 

*  "Every  rebel  I  meet  says  the  same  thing,"  said 
Frank.  "But  who  were  the  richest  men  in  this 
place  before  the  war  broke  out?" 

The  man  mentioned  several  names,  among 
which  was  that  of  Abbott,  the  chemist. 

"Abbott,  Abbott,"  repeated  Frank,  as  if  trying 
to  recall  the  man  to  mind;  "I  've  heard  that  name 
before.     Is  he  a  Northern  man?" 

"No;    he's   allers   lived    at   the    South.      His 


94  FRANK   ON   THE   LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

house  is  right  back  of  the  hotel,  third  door  from 
the  corner,  on  the  right-hand  side  as  you  go  up 
the  street." 

Frank  had  learned  something,  but  he  did  not 
think  it  safe  to  question  the  man  further,  for  fear 
of  exciting  his  suspicions;  so,  after  a  few  unim- 
portant remarks,  he  turned  on  his  heel  and 
"walked  into  the  hotel,  which  was  used  as  the  army 
head-quarters.  Here  he  remained  for  nearly  half 
an  hour,  to  give  the  man  of  whom  he  had  received 
his  information  time  to  leave  the  place,  and  then 
directed  his  steps  toward  Mr.  Abbott's  dwelling. 
He  had  no  difiBculty  in  finding  it,  for  he  followed 
the  butternut's  directions,  and  the  rebel's  name 
was  borne  on  the  door-plate.  The  house,  how- 
ever, was  deserted;  the  blinds  were-  closed,  as 
were  those  of  all  the  neisfhborinor  houses.  Mr. 
Abbott,  with  his  family,  if  he  had  any,  had  doubt- 
less removed  out  of  reach  of  the  Union  forces. 
Did  he  ever  visit  his  home  when  in  town?  or  did 
he  make  his  head-quarters  somewhere  else?  were 
questions  that  suggested  themselves  to  Frank,  but 
which,  of  course,  he  could  not  answer;  neither 
did  he  dare  to  question  any  of  the  citizens,  for 
they  might  be  Mr.  Abbott's  friends,  who  would 


FRANK    TURNS    DETECTIVE.  95 

not  fail  to  inform  him  tliiit  particular  inquiries 
were  being  made,  which  would  lead  him  to  act 
more  cautiously.  Frank  did  not  know  Avhat  plan 
to  adopt,  but  walked  listlessly  about  the  streets 
until  he  heard  the  Michigan's  bell  strike  half-past 
three  o'clock.  lie  must  be  on  board  by  four,  as 
the  admiral  was  to  be  there  to  inspect  the  vessel. 
He  was  reluctant  to  leave  without  havinjx  accom- 
plished  any  thing  more  than  the  discovery  of  the 
rebel's  dwelling;  but  there  was  no  help  for  it,  and 
he  walked  slowly  toward  the  landing,  where  he 
found  a  boat  waiting  for  him. 

That  night,  although  he  retired  early,  he  slept 
but  little,  but  tossed  restlessly  about  in  his  bunk, 
endeavoring  to  conjure  up  some  plan  by  which  he 
might  capture  the  rebel ;  and  when  he  fell  asleep, 
he  dreamed  about  the  subject  uppermost  in  his 
mind.  lie  thought  that,  after  several  days'  patient 
watching,  he  finally  discovered  his  man;  but  all 
attempts  to  capture  him  were  unavailing.  When 
he  pursued,  the  rebel  would  disappear  in  a  magical 
way,  that  was  perfectly  bewildering.  Finally,  he 
dreamed  that  the  rebel  assumed  the  offensive,  and 
one  day  he  met  him  in  the  street,  carrying  in  his 
hand  something  that  looked  like  a  lump  of  coal, 


96  FRANK   ON   THE   LOWER   MISSISSIPPI. 

■which  he  threw  at  Frank.  It  proved,  however,  to 
be  a  torpedo,  for  it  exploded  with  a  loud  report, 
and  as  Frank  sprang  over  a  fence  that  ran  close 
by  the  sidewalk,  to  escape,  he  came  violently 
in  contact  with  the  walls  of  a  house.  At  this 
stage  of  his  dream  he  was  suddenly  awakened. 
To  his  no  small  amazement,  he  found  himself 
stretched  on  the  floor  of  his  room,  his  head 
jammed  against  the  door,  through  which  one  of 
the  wardroom  boys,  a  very  small  specimen  of  a 
contraband,  was  endeavoring  to  escape,  while  the 
look  of  terror  depicted  on  his  face,  and  the  energy 
with  which  he  strove  to  open  the  door,  showed  that 
he  had  sustained  something  of  a  fright.  On  the 
opposite  side  of  the  room  stood  the  doctor,  who 
gazed  at  Frank  for  a  moment  with  open  mouth 
and  eyes,  and  then  threw  himself  on  the  bed,  con- 
vulsed with  laughter. 

Frank  rose  slowly  to  his  feet,  and  commenced 
drawing  on  his  clothes,  while  the  little  negro  dis- 
appeared through  the  door  like  a  flash. 

"Mr.  Nelson,"  said  the  doctor,  as  soon  as  he 
could  speak,  "you  can't  make  that  jump  again, 
sir.  I  came  in  to  awaken  you,"  he  continued, 
"and  was  just  going  to  put  my  hand  on  you,  when 


FRANK   TURNS   DETECTIVE.  97 

you  sprang  out  of  your  bunk  upon  your  trunk,  and 
then  back  again ;  and  just  as  the  darkey  was  com- 
ing in,  you  made  another  jump,  and  landed  against 
the  door,  frightening  him  so  that  I  actually  believe 
he  turned  pale.     Were  you  dreaming  ?  " 

*'  Yes,"  answered  Frank,  with  a  laugh ;  "  I  was 
getting  out  of  the  way  of  a  torpedo." 

*'  Well,  you  certainly  jumped  far  enough  to  get 
out  of  the  way  of  almost  any  thing,"  replied  the 
doctor,  after  he  had  indulged  in  another  hearty  fit 
of  laughter.  "  Hurry  up ;  breakfast  is  nearly 
ready." 

Frank,  felt  the  effects  of  his  agility  in  the  shape 
of  a  severe  pain  over  his  left  eye,  which  had  been 
occasioned  by  his  head  coming  in  contact  with  the 
door-knob;  and  his  "big  jump"  was  the  source  of 
a  good  deal  of  merriment  at  the  breakfast-table. 

Frank  went  ashore  in  the  ten-o'clock  boat,  and, 
after  strolling  about  with  his  companions  for  a 
short  time,  invented  a  satisfactory  excuse  for  his 
absence,  and  started  toward  Mr.  Abbott's  house, 
which,  to  his  joy,  he  found  open,  with  a  negro  en- 
gaged in  sweeping  the  steps. 

"  Boy,  who  lives  here  ?  "  he  inquired. 

The  negro  gave  the  desired  information,  adding: 
7 


98  FRANK    ON    THE    LOWER   MISSISSIPPI. 

"  He  ain't  hyar  though,  but  missus  will  be  home  dis 
arternoon." 

"Where  's  your  master  ?  " 

"  Oh,  he  done  gone  off  somewhar.  I  'spects  he 
do  n't  like  for  to  see  you  Yankee  sogers  hyar.'* 

As  the  negro  ceased  speaking,  having  finished 
his  work,  he  turned  and  went  into  the  house, 
while  Frank  was  about  to  move  away,  wondering 
what  was  the  next  thing  to  be  done,  when  a  boy 
approached  and  opened  the  gate. 

"  What  do  you  want  ?  "  asked  Frank. 

The  boy  held  up  a  letter  which  he  carried  in 
his  hand,  and  Frank,  seeing  that  it  was  addressed 
to  Mrs.  Abbott,  at  once  concluded  that  it  con- 
tained information  which  might  be  of  the  greatest 
value  to  him. 

"It  is  all  right,''  said  he;  "I'll  attend  to  it;" 
at  the  same  time  taking  the  note  and  handing 
some  money  to  the  boy,  who  departed  well  satis- 
fied. Frank  then  walked  down  the  street,  and,  as 
soon  as  he  was  out  of  sight  of  the  house,  opened 
the  letter  and  read  as  follows: 

Hey  ward's  Plantation,  March  20,  1864. 
"  Will  be  at  home  at  eight  o'clock  this  evening.    Have  my 
baggage  ready  to  start  for  Shreveport  early  in  the  morning.' 


FRANK   TURNS   DETECTIVE.  99 

No  name  was  signed  to  the  note,  but  Frank 
was  certain  that  he  now  had  the  matter  in  his 
own  hands,  and  that  any  preparations  Mrs.  Ab- 
bott might  make  for  her  husband's  journey  to 
Shreveport  wouhl  only  be  thrown  away.  He  at 
once  directed  his  steps  toward  the  landing,  hailed 
his  vessel  for  a  boat,  and  when  he  had  arrived  on 
board  and  reported  to  the  captain,  showed  that 
gentleman  the  note,  at  the  same  time  requesting 
permission  to  remain  on  shore  after  dark,  in  order 
to  capture  the  rebel. 

"  I  should  be  only  too  happy  to  allow  you  to 
do  so,  Mr.  Nelson,"  said  the  captain,  "for  you 
seem  to  be  particularly  fortunate  in  every  thing 
of  this  description  you  undertake.  But,  as  it  is 
the  admiral's  order  that  all  officers  repair  on  board 
their  vessels  at  sundown,  he  must  be  consulted  in 
regard  to  the  matter.  Orderly,  tell  the  officer  of 
the  deck  to  have  the  gig  called  away.  We  will 
go  up  to  the  flag-ship,"  he  continued,  "and  talk 
to  the  admiral." 

The  gig  was  soon  manned,  and  after  Frank  had 
buckled  on  his  sword  (for  all  officers  visiting  the 
flag-ship  were  required  to  wear  their  side-arms), 
he  stepped  into  the  boat  with  the  captain,  and  in 


100         FRANK    ON    THE    LOWER    MISSISSIPPI. 

a  short  time  they  were  in  the  presence  of  the  ad- 
miral. The  captain,  in  a  few  words,  explained  the 
nature  of  the  visit,  showed  him  the  note  Frank 
had  intercepted,  and  ended  by  repeating  the 
young  officer's  request  that  he  might  be  allowed 
to  remain  on  shore  after  dark. 

■"  Certainly,"  replied  the  admiral,  "certainly. 
If  you  succeed,  young  man,  we  shall  have  one  less 
of  these  secret-service  fellows  to  fear."  Then, 
turning  to  one  of  his  clerks,  he  gave  him  an  order 
which  Frank  did  not  hear,  after  which  he  asked: 

"How  did  you  discover  the  whereabouts  of  this 
man  Abbott,  Mr.  Nelson?" 

Frank  then  proceeded  to  give  the  admiral  an 
account  of  all  he  had  done,  how  he  had  seen  the 
rebel's  name  on  the  sign,  learned  his  residence, 
and  secured  the  note.  To  all  of  which  the  latter 
listened  with  attention. 

"  I  hope  you  will  succeed  in  capturing  him," 
said  he.  "  If  you  do,  bring  him  here ;  I  want  a 
look  at  him.  Here,"  he  continued,  as  his  clerk 
handed  him  a  letter,  "is  a  request  that  the  pro- 
vost-marshal will  furnish  you  with  a  pass.  Good 
luck  to  you,  young  man." 

Their  business  being  finished,  Frank  followed 


FRANK   TURNS   DETECTIVE.  101 

tlie  captain  out  of  the  cabin,  and  returned  on 
board  the  Michigan. 

All  that  afternoon  Frank  was  in  a  fever  of  ex- 
citement. He  was  impatient  for  the  night  to 
come,  that  he  might  know  whether  or  not  his  at- 
tempt was  to  be  crowned  with  success.  A  hun- 
dred things  might  happen  to  prevent  it.  The 
rebel  might  not  come  home,  or  the  note  might 
have  been  written  with  the  intention  of  having  it 
intercepted,  in  order  to  throw  the  one  into  whose 
hands  it  might  fall  on  the  wTong  scent;  or  it 
might  be  written  in  cipher,  and  mean  directly 
opposite  to  what  Frank  had  supposed.  But  he 
consoled  himself  with  the  thought  that  he  had 
done,  and  would  still  continue  to  do,  all  in  his 
power  to  obey  the  admiral's  general  order,  and 
if  he  failed,  the  blame  would  not  rest  with  him. 

When  the  sundown  boat  was  called  away,  Frank, 
after  exchanging  his  uniform  for  a  citizen's  dress, 
and  his  cap  for  a  tattered  slouch-hat,  thrust  a  re- 
volver into  his  pocket,  stepped  into  the  cutter,  and 
was  soon  set  on  shore.  He  walked  directly  to  the 
office  of  the  provost-marshal,  which  was  in  the 
hotel,  and  finding  that  officer  at  his  desk,  handed 
him  the  admiral's  note,  which  ran  as  follows : 


102        FRANK   ON   THE   LOWER   MISSISSIPPI. 

"U.  S.  Flag-ship  Blackhawk,  | 
"Off  Alexandria,  La.,  March  20,  1864.  J 
"Sir: — Please  furnish  the  bearer,  Acting  Ensign  Frank 
Nelson,  with  a  pass.  He  has  important  business  to  per- 
form, which  may  detain  him  on  shore  most  of  the  night, 
and  it  is  absolutely  necessaiy,  for  the  successful  accom- 
plishment of  his  mission,  that  he  should  not  be  interfered 
with.  Very  respectfully,  your  obd't  servt., 

David  D.  Porter,  Bear  Adyniral^ 

Com'd'g  Miss.  Squadron. 
U.  S.  Provost  ^Marshal, 

Alexandria,  La. 

^' Your  business  must  be  important  indeed,  judg- 
ing by  the  language  of  this  note,"  said  the  mar- 
shal.    "You  shall  not  be  troubled." 

While  he  was  speaking  he  had  been  writing  an 
order  commanding  "all  guards  and-  patrols  to 
allow  the  bearer  the  freedom  of  the  city,  as  he 
was  under  special  orders  from  the  admiral,  and 
must  not  be  detained." 

"There,"  said  he,  after  he  had  finished  the  pass 
and  handed  it  to  Frank.  "  That  will  take  you 
through  all  right.  You  have  my  best  wishes  for 
your  success." 

Frank  thanked  him,  and  putting  the  pass  care- 


FRANK  TURNS  DETECTIVE.         103 

fully  away  in  his  pocket,  walked  out  of  the  hotel 
fully  satisfied  on  one  point,  and  that  was,  if  his 
success  depended  upon  the  good  wishes  of  his 
friends,  failure  was  impossible.  He  walked  slowly 
down  the  street  toward  the  place  where  the  sol- 
diers were  encamped ;  for  as  it  lacked  fully  an 
hour  and  a  half  of  the  appointed  time,  he  did  not 
wish  to  be  seen  loitering  about  the  house,  as  it 
might  excite  the  suspicions  of  its  inmates,  who 
would  not  fail  to  send  word  to  Mr.  Abbott  that 
the  house  was  being  watched.  Time  moved  alto- 
gether too  slowly  for  the  impatient  young  officer, 
but  at  length  he  heard  the  flag-ship's  bell  strike 
half-past  seven,  and  as  it  had  begun  to  grow  dark, 
he  walked  toward  the  house,  and  took  his  station 
in  the  shadow  of  some  trees  on  the  opposite  side 
of  the  street.  At  the  end  of  an  hour  his  patience 
•was  rewarded,  for  he  heard  the  sound  of  approach- 
ing footsteps,  and  a  man  passed  by  the  house. 
Frank  knew,  from  the  suspicious  manner  in  which 
he  gazed  about,  that  if  it  was  not  the  man  for 
whom  he  was  waiting,  it  was  some  other  guilty 
fellow  who  ought  to  be  secured.  Presently  he 
returned,  and  after  again  looking  cautiously  about 
him,  ascended  the  steps  and  knocked  lightly  at 


104         FRANK    ON    THE    LOWER   MISSISSIPPI. 

the  door,  -which  ^as  almost  instantly  opened,  and 
a  voice  exclaimed : 

"Massa  Abbott,  I'se  glad  to" 

The  rest  of  the  sentence  Frank  did  not  hear,  for 
the  moment  the  man  entered  the  hall,  the  door  was 
closed  again.  Xow  was  the  time  for  Frank,  who 
hastily  crossed  the  street,  and  noiselessly  ascended 
the  steps.  Here  he  paused  for  a  moment  to  draw 
his  revolver,  and  then  suddenly  opened  the  door 
and  sprang  into  the  hall.  He  was  met  by  the 
negro,  the  same,  no  doubt,  whom  he  had  heard 
welcoming  his  master,  who,  not  liking  the  looks 
of  the  huge  six-shooter  which  the  officer  flourished 
before  his  eyes,  beat  a  hasty  retreat.  Frank  kept 
on  and  entered  the  parlor,  where  he  found  his 
man  standing  in  the  middle  of  the  floor,  pale  and 
breathless.     No  one  else  was  in  the  room. 

"Mr.  Abbott,"  said  Frank,  "you're  my  pris- 
oner ! " 

The  man,  who  was  so  terrified  that  he  seemed 
to  have  lost  even  the  power  of  speech,  surrendered 
his  weapons  and  submitted  to  his  captor,  who  led 
him  out  of  the  house  and  toward  the  flag-ship, 
which  they  reached  in  safety.  The  admiral  re- 
ceived Frank  with  great  cordiality,  and  after  lis- 


FRANK  TURNS  DETECTIVE.        105 

tening  to  his  account  of  the  manner  in  which  the 
capture  of  the  prisoner  had  been  effected,  he 
ordered  the  cutter  called  away,  and  the  young 
officer,  rejoicing  over  his  success,  was  sent  on 
board  his  vessel. 


106 


FRANK    ON   THE    LOWER   MISSISSIPPI. 


CHAPTER    YII. 


HE  next  morning,  just  after  quarters, 
ff^S46t^^^  while  the  officers  were  getting 
ready  to  go  on  shore,  a  boat  from 
the  flag-ship  came  alongside,  and  the 
officer  in  charge  of  it  was  shown  into 
the  cabin,  as  he  said  he  had  business 
with  the  captain.  Frank,  who  thought 
he  had  accomplished  sufficient  to  satisfy  him  to 
remain  on  board,  sat  in  the  wardroom  reading, 
when  the  orderly  entered  and  informed  him  that 
the  captain  desired  his  presence  in  the  cabin. 

"Mr.  Nelson,"  said  he,  "here's  an  order  from 
the  admiral,  directing  me  to  furnish  you  with  a 
cutter  and  an  armed  crew,  and  to  send  you  to  the 
flag-ship  for  orders.  I  am  also  instructed  to  ap- 
point an  executive  to  fill  your  place  during  your 
absence.     I  expect  you  will  be  sent  ofi"  on  some 


107 

expedition;  so  you  had  better  prepare  for  a  long 
trip." 

The  officer  who  brought  the  order  having  re- 
turned to  his  vessel,  the  captain  accompanied 
Frank  on  deck,  and  ordered  the  second  cutter  to 
be  called  away  and  furnished  with  a  crew  well 
armed.  In  a  short  time  the  boat  was  ready,  and 
Frank,  buckling  on  his  side-arms,  took  leave  of 
the  captain  and  started  toward  the  flag-ship,  won- 
dering what  duty  he  was  now  called  upon  to  per- 
form, and  fully  determined  that  whatever  orders 
he  might  receive,  however  dangerous  or  difficult, 
should  be  executed,  if  within  the  bounds  of  possi- 
bility. 

When  he  arrived  on  board  the  Blackhawk,  an 
officer,  who  appeared  to  be  waiting  for  him,  con- 
ducted him  into  the  cabin,  where  the  admiral  sat 
"writing  at  his  desk. 

"Good  morning,  Mr.  Nelson,"  said  he;  "take  a 
chair,  sir." 

Frank  took  the  seat  pointed  out  to  him,  and 
the  admiral,  taking  from  his  desk  a  bundle  of 
papers,  carefully  tied  up,  continued: 

"  It  has  always  been  my  habit,  Mr.  Nelson,  not 
to  let  a  brave  or  skilli'ul  action  pass  unrewarded, 


108         FRANK    ON    THE    LOWER    MISSISSIPPI. 

any  more  than  I  would  allow  a  bad  one  to  pass 
unpunished.  I  am  now  about  to  give  you  a  much 
more  important,  and  perhaps  dangerous,  commis- 
sion than  has  yet  been  intrusted  to  you.  This 
package  contains  official  documents  of  the  greatest 
importance,  and  I  want  you  to  go  down  the  river, 
and  deliver  it  to  the  commanding  naval  officer, 
whom  you  will  find  at  Acklen's  plantation,  oppo- 
site the  mouth  of  Red  River.  I  know  there  are 
rebels  all  along  the  banks,  but  whatever  you  do, 
do  n't  allow  these  letters  to  fall  into  their  hands. 
There  are  iron  weights  in  the  package,  and  if  you 
should  be  in  danger  of  capture,  throw  it  over- 
board. You  will  take  passage  on  the  army  trans- 
port that  now  lies  at  the  stern  of  this  vessel,  all 
ready  to  start.  I  send  the  cutter  and  armed  crew 
with  you,  for  the  reason  that  the  rebels  may  sink 
the  transport,  in  which  case  you  can  escape  in 
your  boat;  for  those  letters  must  go  through,  if 
possible;  perhaps  the  success  of  this  expedition 
depends  upon  them.  The  transport,  you  will  find, 
is  in  command  of  a  second-lieutenant.  I  should 
feel  much  safer  if  I  could  put  one  of  my  own 
officers  in  charge,  but,  as  the  boat  belongs  to  the 
army,  I  have  no  authority  in  the  matter.     After 


Frank's  first  command.  109 

you  have  executed  your  orders,  return,  by  first 
opportunity,  to  your  vessel,  and  report  to  me  by 
letter.  Now,  sir,  you  may  go,  for  they  are  wait- 
ing for  you.  Remember,  I  say  the  success  or  fail- 
ure of  this  entire  expedition  may  depend  upon 
you ;  and  do  n't  forget  that  you  are  the  young 
man  that  saved  the  Milwaukee." 

Frank  bowed  himself  out  of  the  cabin,  sprang 
into  the  cutter,  and  started  toward  the  transport 
that  lay  alongside  of  the  bank,  a  short  distance 
below  the  flag-ship.  As  he  stepped  on  board,  he 
was  met  by  a  flashy-looking  young  lieutenant, 
dressed  in  a  brand-new  uniformj  who  greeted  him 
with  the  inquiry: 

"Are  you  ready  at  last?  I  have  been  waiting 
an  hour  for  you.  Business  is  business,  you  know, 
and  when  I  command  a  ship,  I  do  n't  like  to  be 
detained." 

The  lieutenant  said  this,  probably,  to  impress 
upon  Frank's  mind  the  important  fact  that  he  was 
the  captain  of  the  steamer,  and  must  be  respected 
and  obeyed  accordingly.  Frank,  who  knew  that 
he  was  not  subject  to  the  orders  of  the  lieutenant 
only  so  far  as  the  safety  of  the  vessel  was  con- 
cerned, replied  that  he  had  come  as  soon  as  he 


110        FRANK    ON    THE   LOWER   MISSISSIPPI. 

could  after  he  had  received  his  orders,  and  turning 
to  his  men,  directed  part  of  them  to  make  the 
cutter  fast  to  the  stern  of  the  steamer,  and  the 
others  to  carry  their  arms  to  the  boiler-deck, 
where  they  could  be  readily  seized  in  case  of 
emergency.  The  transport  was  a  small  side- 
wheel  boat  belonging  to  the  quarter-master's  de- 
partment. The  deck-hands  were  all  soldiers — 
perhaps  half  a  dozen  of  them  in  all — the  only 
steamboatmen  on  board  being  one  pilot,  four  en- 
gineers, and  as  many  firemen.  The  steamer  was 
armed  with  two  howitzers,  mounted  on  the  boiler- 
deck,  and  the  muskets  of  the  soldiers  were  stacked 
in  the  cabin.  The  boilers  were  protected  by  bales 
of  cotton,  which  were  piled  on  the  guards,  and  the 
pilot-house  was  defended  in  the  same  manner.  A 
few  bales  were  also  placed  on  the  boiler-deck  to 
serve  as  a  breastwork.  The  whole  was  under  the 
command  of  the  lieutenant,  who,  judging  by  the 
orders  he  issued,  knew  nothing  whatever  of  the 
management  of  a  boat. 

Frank  had  been  on  board  but  a  few  moments, 
w^hen  the  engineer's  bell  rang,  to  inform  the  pilot 
that  all  was  ready  for  the  start.  The  boat  was 
made  fast  by  a  single  line,  which  ran   from   the 


Ill 

forecastle  to  a  tree  on  the  bank,  and  the  gang- 
phmk  was  out.  The  lieutenant's  first  order  was, 
"  Haul  in  that  plank."  The  soldiers  obeyed,  and 
then  came  the  command  for  *' somebody  to  run 
out  there  and  untie  that  line." 

One  of  the  soldiers  sprang  ashore  and  began 
trying  to  cast  ofi"  the  line,  which  was  drawn  as 
taut  as  a  four-mile  current  could  make  it.  He 
worked  for  several  moments,  but,  of  course  with- 
out success  (for  the  line  should  first  have  been 
slackened  up  on  board),  and  then  called  out : 

"Loosen  up  that  other  end,  there!" 

"No,  no!"  replied  the  lieutenant,  "that  would 
allow  the  boat  to  swing  away  from  the  bank,  and 
then  how  would  you  get  on  board?  It  must  be 
untied  from  that  tree  first." 

What  difference  it  could  possibly  make  in  re- 
gard to  the  boat's  swinging  away  from  the  bank, 
whether  the  line  was  first  slackened  up  on  shore 
or  on  board,  Frank  could  not  determine. 

He  was  astonished  at  the  lieutenant's  ignorance, 
and  amused  at  his  novel  mode  of  casting  off  a  line, 
while  the  sailors,  who  had  gathered  in  a  group  on 
the  forecastle,  watched  the  operation  with  a  smile, 
wondering  how  the  affair  would  end,  as  they  knew 


112         FRANK    ON   THE   LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

that  the  hne  could  not  be  "  untied  "  from  the  tree 
unless  first  slackened  up  on  board.  But  the  lieu- 
tenant seemed  to  have  his  own  idea  of  the  manner 
in  which  it  ought  to  be  accomplished,  and  was  con- 
stantly ordering  the  man  to  "  Hurry  up,  there ! " 
The  soldiers  worked  and  pulled,  but  all  to  no 
purpose,  and  the  lieutenant,  becoming  impatient, 
ordered  two  more  of  the  men  to  his  assistance. 
But  the  knot,  which  had  been  awkwardly  made, 
was  jammed,  and  resisted  their  utmost  efforts. 

"I  never  did  see  such  a  clumsy  set  of  fellows," 
said  the  lieutenant,  at  length,  turning  to  Frank, 
who  stood  beside  him,  making  use  of  his  handker- 
chief to  conceal  his  laughter.  "  We  ought  to  have 
been  two  miles  down  the  river  by  this  time." 

It  was  evident  that  he  was  fast  becoming  dis- 
gusted with  his  first  attempt  at  "  steamboating," 
but  was  too  proud  to  ask  advice.  At  length  he 
turned  and  walked  into  the  cabin,  muttering,  "I 
guess  they  will  get  it  untied  before  night."  But 
Frank  was  unwilling  to  wait  so  long.  The  delay 
was  entirely  unnecessary,  and  he  had  begun  to 
get  impatient. 

"Men,"  said  he,  addressing  himself  to  the  cut- 
ter's   crew,   who   were    convulsed   with    laughter, 


Frank's  first  command.  113 

"some  of  you  run  out  that  gang-plank,  and  an- 
otlier  slack  up  that  line." 

These  orders  were  promptly  obeyed,  and  the 
difficulty  was  easily  overcome. 

"All  gone,  sir,"  shouted  Frank  to  the  pilot, 
meaning  that  the  line  was  cast  off,  and  in  a  few 
moments  the  transport  swung  off  from  the  bank, 
and  was  plowing  her  way  down  the  river.  Frank 
leaned  over  the  railing,  and  wondered  how  a 
man  so  utterly  ignorant  of  the  management  of 
a  steamer,  as  was  the  lieutenant,  came  to  be  put 
in  command,  and  at  a  time,  too,  when  they  might 
be  placed  in  situations  that  would  call  into  re- 
quisition all  the  skill  and  judgment  of  experi- 
enced men.  He  did  not  at  all  like  the  appearance 
of  the  young  commander,  for  he  was  of  the  type 
of  officers  known  as  "upstarts,"  who  like  to 
show  their  authority,  but  are  without  the  ability 
to  successfully  fill  even  the  post  of  corporal. 
What  if  the  transport  should  be  fired  upon  and 
disabled?  It  was  evident  that  in  such  an  emer- 
gency nothing  could  be  expected  of  a  man  who 
could  not  cast  off  a  line.  Frank's  commission 
was  too  important  to  be  intrusted  to  the  care  of 
such  a  man,  and  the  young  officer  felt  that  he 
8 


114         FRANK   ON    THE    LOWER   MISSISSIPPI. 

would  much  rather  step  into  the  cutter,  and  trust 
to  the  skill  and  courage  of  his  twelve  sailors,  than 
to  remain  on  board  the  transport.  Calling  the 
coxswain  on  deck,  he  directed  that  if  they  were 
attacked,  the  cutter  should  be  kept  ready  for  in- 
stant use,  and  in  case  the  vessel  was  disabled, 
they  would  attempt  to  finish  their  journey  in  her. 
After  giving  these  orders,  Frank  went  up  into  the 
pilot-house,  where  he  found  the  man  at  the  wheel 
in  no  enviable  state  of  mind. 

"I'm  glad  to  see  you,"  said  he,  as  Frank  en- 
tered, "  for  I  want  to  talk  to  you.  I  "m  not  at  all 
pleased  with  the  looks  of  our  skipper,"  he  went  on 
to  say,  "and  how  he  came  to  be  placed  in  com- 
mand is  a  mystery  to  me.  Perhaps  the  quarter- 
master thinks,  like  a  good  many  men  who  see  the 
Mississippi  River  for  the  first  time,  that  any  body 
can  take  charge  of  a  steamboat;  but  suppose  we 
should  run  aground — ^Yhat  does  that  lieutenant 
know  about  sparring  ofi"?  or  what  if  something 
about  the  engine  should  let  down?  why,  we  might 
go  forty  miles  do^Yn  the  river  before  he  could  get 
us  tied  up  to  the  bank.  Besides,  if  we  are  fired 
upon,  he  '11   surrender.      Now,  mark   my   words, 


115 

he  '11  surrender  before  he  -Nvill  fight,  and  I  'm  op- 
posed to  that,  for  I  was  a  prisoner  once." 

"  So  was  I,"  said  Frank,  "  and  I  do  n't  mean  to 
fall  into  the  rebels'  hands  again,  if  I  can  help  it. 
I'll  never  be  surrendered.  That  lieutenant  may 
not  fight,  but  I  think  his  men  will,  and  I  have 
twelve  good  fellows,  all  well  armed,  on  whom  I 
know  I  can  depend." 

"Then  I  feel  better,"  said  the  pilot.  "That's 
talk  I  like  to  hear ;  for  if  we  are  not  disabled,  we  '11 
go  through  all  right.  There  goes  the  bell!  Go 
down  and  get  your  dinner." 

Frank  deposited  his  weapons  on  a  bench  in  the 
pilot-house  and  ran  down  into  the  cabin,  where 
he  found  the  lieutenant  and  two  engineers  seated 
at  the  table.  The  former  seemed  to  have  forgot- 
ten his  failure  of  the  morning,  for  he  talked  a 
good  deal  in  a  condescending  manner,  as  if  ad- 
dressing his  inferiors;  and  to  Frank's  inquiry  if 
he  expected  trouble  from  the  rebels,  replied  that 
he  had  not  given  the  matter  a  moment's  thought; 
that  if  they  did  attack  the  vessel,  it  would  not  be 
the  first  time  he  had  smelt  powder,  and  if  the 
engineers  and  pilot  could  be  depended  upon,  he 
had  no  fears  but  that  he  should  be  able  to  take 


116         FRANK    ON    THE    LOWER   MISSISSIPPI. 

the  boat  safely  through.  Frank  replied  that  he 
trusted  the  officers  would  not  be  found  wanting  in 
courage;  and  when  he  had  finished  his  meal,  he 
went  on  deck  again,  and  surprised  the  pilot,  by 
offerinof  to  relieve  him  while  he  went  down  to  his 
dinner.  In  his  spare  moments  Frank,  who  wisely 
regarded  it  as  the  duty  of  every  officer  to  acquaint 
himself  with  every  part  of  the  management  of  a 
vessel,  had  learned  to  handle  the  wheel,  and  he 
was  an  excellent  steersman.  He  could  make  a 
landing  or  get  a  boat  under  way,  as  well  as  the 
most  experienced  pilot ;  and  in  the  present  in- 
stance he  was  fully  capable  of  steering  the  boat, 
for  as  the  water  in  the  river  was  high,  there  was 
no  danger  of  getting  out  of  the  channel. 

The  pilot  gave  him  his  place,  and  after  watch- 
ing the  movements  of  the  young  officer,  who 
handled  the  wheel  with  all  the  confidence  of  an 
old  river  man,  he  went  below  to  his  dinner,  satis- 
isfied  that  he  had  left  the  boat  in  safe  hands. 
Frank  remained  at  the  wheel  most  of  the  after- 
noon, for  the  pilot,  who  would  be  on  watch  all 
night,  had  gone  to  bed  to  obtain  a  few  hours'  rest. 
About  four  o'clock,  however,  he  made  his  appear- 
ance, and  Frank  went  down  into  the  cabin,  and 


FRANKS   FIRST   COMMAND.  Il7 

was  engaged  in  reading  a  newspaper,  when  he 
heard  the  pilot  shout  through  the  trumpet  to  the 
engineers : 

"  Here  they  are !  Now,  push  her  ahead  strong. 
There  's  a  battery  just  below." 

At  the  same  moment  there  was  a  rush  of  feet 
on  deck,  and  the  lieutenant  entered  the  cabin  pale 
and  breathless. 

"  We  're  captured,"  said  he,  in  a  faint  voice. 
"We  're  surrounded.  The  bank  is  black  with  reb- 
els— ten  thousand  of  them  at  least !  It 's  no  use 
to  think  of  fiorhtinor." 

o  o 

As  he  ceased  speaking,  he  ran  on  deck  again, 
followed  by  Frank,  who  found  his  men  drawn  up 
behind  the  cotton-bales,  with  their  weapons  in  their 
hands,  waiting  for  orders.  The  soldiers  had  cast 
loose  the  howitzers,  and  stood  at  their  posts. 
The  lieutenant  stopped  a  moment,  just  long 
enough  to  say,  "Boys,  we're  all  captured!"  and 
then  ran  into  the  pilot-house.  As  Frank  stood 
talking  to  his  men,  and  encouraging  them  with 
the   famous   words   that   never   fail   to   nerve   an 

American  seaman — "  Do  n't  give  up  the  ship  !  " 

a  rebel  rode  out  on  the  bank,  in  full  view  of  the 
steamer,  and  shouted: 


118         FRANK    ON   THE    LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

"Come  ashore  here,  or  we  '11  sink  you." 

Frank  looked  toward  the  pilot-house,  where  the 
lieutenant  had  taken  refuge,  and  waited  to  hear 
his  answer.  To  his  surprise  and  horror,  he  saw 
a  hand  extended  waving  a  white  handkerchief,  and 
the  coxswain  exclaimed : 

"Mr.  Nelson,  he's  surrendering  us,  sir!" 

With  one  bound  Frank  sprang  up  the  steps 
that  led  to  the  pilot-house,  caught  the  handker- 
chief and  threw  it  overboard;  and  at  the  same 
moment  the  lieutenant  was  seized  from  behind 
and  thrown  to  the  deck.  He  instantly  recovered 
his  feet,  and  turning  fiercely  upon  Frank  and  the 
pilot,  exclaimed 

"What  are  you  about?  Do  you  know  that  you 
have  rendered  yourselves  liable  to  a  court-mar- 
tial ?  I  'm  commander  of  this  vessel,  and  I  '11 
shoot  the  first  man  that  resists  my  authority ! " 

"You  shall  never  surrender  us,"  said  Frank, 
firmly,  not  the  least  intimidated  by  the  other's 
threat.  "  If  you  will  give  orders  for  your  men  to 
prepare  for  action,  no  one  will  oppose  you.  We  '11 
stick  to  you  as  long  as  a  plank  of  this  vessel  re- 
mains above  water." 

"  I  know  my  own  business,"  replied  the  lieuten- 


119 

ant.  "  Resistance  is  useless.  We  never  could  get 
by  that  battery,  and  I  'm  going  to  surrender  to 
save  our  lives.    Turn  her  toward  the  shore,  pilot!" 

As  he  spoke,  he  Avalked  out  on  deck,  and  call- 
ing out  to  the  rebel,  who  had  continued  to  follow 
the  vessel : 

"  I  '11  surrender  !  Pilot,  I  tell  you  to  turn  her 
in  toward  the  shore." 

The  pilot  gave  a  glance  at  Frank,  and  reading 
in  his  face  a  firm  determination  to  go  through  if 
possible,  held  the  boat's  head  down  the  stream, 
while  a  murmur  of  indignation  arose  from  the 
men  on  the  lower  deck,  and  the  coxswain  said, 
turning  to  his  companions : 

"  Sink  my  tarry  wig,  if  that  ar'  chap  ain't  going 
to  give  us  up  without  our  having  the  least  bit  of  a 
fight." 

Frank  stood  for  a  moment  irresolute.  Ought 
he  to  oppose  the  lieutenant,  the  lawful  commander 
of  the  vessel?  Was  it  his  duty  to  stand  by  and 
allow  himself  and  his  men  to  be  surrendered  with- 
out even  a  show  of  resistance  ?  And  his  dis- 
patches, the  importance  of  which  the  admiral  had 
stated  in  such  emphatic  language,  should  he  throw 
them  overboard,  instead  of  delivering  them,  as  he 


120         FRANK   ON   THE   LOWER   MISSISSIPPI. 

had  hoped  to  do,  to  the  officer  to  whom  they  were 
addressed?  No!  Sooner  than  do  that,  he  would 
put  the  cowardly  lieutenant  under  arrest,  and  give 
the  command  to  the  pilot,  a  man  whom  he  knew 
understood  his  business,  and  would  not  think  of 
surrender  until  it  had  been  clearly  proved  that 
successful  resistance  was  entirely  out  of  the  ques- 
tion. 

While  these  thoughts  were  passing  through 
Frank's  mind,  the  boat,  under  an  increased  head 
of  steam,  had  been  rapidly  nearing  the  battery, 
which  could  be  distinctly  seen  about  half  a  mile 
below,  planted  on  the  bank  of  the  river. 

"Come  ashore,  if  you  surrender,"  shouted  the 
rebel. 

"Pilot,"  said  the  lieutenant,  in  a  weak  voice,  "I 
order  you" 

He  never  finished  that  order,  for  Frank  seized 
him,  and  pulling  him  into  the  pilot-house,  closed 
the  door.  He  made  an  attempt  to  draw  a  re- 
volver, but  the  pilot  threw  him  to  the  deck,  when 
Frank  wrested  the  weapon  from  him  and  retained 
it  in  his  possession. 

"  All  ready  forward  there  ?  "  he  shouted  to  the 
men  on  the  boiler-deck. 


Frank's  first  command.  121 

"Ay,  ay,  sir,"  answered  the  coxswain.  ^'Mr. 
Nelson  's  in  command,"  he  added,  turning  to  his 
companions.  "Douse  my  to'-gallant  top-hghts 
but  we  '11  have  a  skirmish  now  sure." 

"Do  you  surrender?"  shouted  the  man  on  the 
bank. 

The  reply  he  received  was  a  shot  from  the  pi- 
lot's revolver,  which  made  him  beat  a  hasty  retreat. 
He  had  scarcely  disappeared  when  a  cloud  of  men 
arose  from  behind  the  levee,  and  a  volley  of  bul- 
lets rattled  into  the  boat.  It  was  answered  by  a 
shout  of  defiance  from  the  men  behind  the  cotton- 
bales;  but  the  pilot,  who  stood  just  in  front  of 
Frank,  staggered  for  a  moment,  and  sank  heavily 
to  the  deck.  Frank  was  horrified.  With  that 
man  at  the  wheel,  he  had  entertained  no  fears  of 
their  ability  to  run  by  the  battery ;  but  now  that 
he  was  left  alone,  with  the  duties  of  both  com- 
mander and  pilot  devolving  upon  him,  his  hopes 
fell  again.  But  he  could  not  remain  long  inactive, 
for  the  boat,  being  without  a  guide,  began  to  swing 
toward  the  shore.  Hastily  seizing  the  wheel,  he 
turned  her  head  down  the  river  again,  when  the 
battery  opened  upon  them,  and  a  storm  of  shells 
plunged  into  the  water  and  whistled  through  the 


122         FRANK    ON    THE    LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

air  about  the  boat.  Only  one  struck  her,  and 
tnat  passed  through  one  of  the  smoke-stacks,  and 
bursting,  demolished  part  of  the  roof  of  the  pilot- 
house. Then,  as  fast  a»  the  guns  could  be  loaded, 
the  battery  played  upon  the  transport,  and  Frank 
heard  the  shells  crashing  through  the  cabin  and 
exploding  in  the  air  above  him.  But  He  stood 
bravely  at  his  post,  his  only  fears  being  of  his 
inability  to  turn  the  point  on  vrhich  the  battery 
was  planted,  or  that  one  of  the  shells  might  pene- 
trate the  cotton-bales  and  strike  the  boilers  or 
some  part  of  the  machinery.  But  as  he  neared 
the  battery,  he  discovered  that  the  boat  was 
struck  less  frequently;  that  the  rebels,  in  their 
excitement,  were  firing  wildly.  His  own  men,  cool 
and  collected,  encouraged  by  the  example  of  their 
ofiicer,  had  not  yet  fired  a  shot;  but  when  the 
boat  arrived  opposite  the  battery,  they  opened 
upon  it  with  the  howitzers  and  small  arms  with 
terrible  efi*ect.  The  point,  which  extended  into 
the  bend  where  the  battery  stood,  was  long  and 
sharp,  a  bad  place  for  one  unaccustomed  to  hand- 
ling a  boat;  but  Frank  passed  it  in  safety,  under 
a  full  head  of  steam,  and  cheers  of  triumph  arose 
from   his   men,   which  the   rebels   answered   with 


123 

yells  of  rage,  and  continued  to  follow  the  trans- 
port, sending  bullets  and  shells  after  her  as  fast 
as  they  could  reload.  But  they  were  speedily 
left  behind,  and  their  yells  died  away  in  the  dis- 
tance. 

Frank's  dispatches  were  safe. 


124        FRANK   ON   THE  LOWER   MISSISSIPPI. 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

H   femlajjelkg   M^S^^- 

S  soon  as  Frank  was  certain  that 
the  rebels  had  given  up  the  pur- 
suit, he  called  two  of  his  men  on 
deck,  and  directed  them  to  carry  the 
pilot,  who  now  began  to  show  signs 
of  returning  consciousness,  into  the 
cabin- 

During  the  fight  the  lieutenant  had  remained 
behind  one  of  the  cotton-bales,  where  the  pilot 
had  thrown  him,  so  completely  overcome  with  fear 
that  he  did  not  think  of  renewing  his  attempts  to 
enforce  his  authority.  But  now  that  the  danger 
was  over,  he  arose  to  his  feet  and  walked  out  of 
the  pilot-house.  As  the  sailors  came  up,  in  obedi- 
ence to  Frank's  order,  they  passed  the  lieutenant 
without  giving  the  customary  salute,  and  acted  as 
though  they  considered  him  beneath  their  notice. 


AN   UNLUCKY    FIGHT.  125 

They  lifted  the  pilot  tenderly  in  their  arms,  carried 
him  down  stairs,  and  laid  him  on  his  bed. 

There  was  no  surgeon  on  board,  and  Frank  was 
anxious  to  reach  a  gun-boat  as  soon  as  possible, 
in  order  to  place  the  pilot,  who  was  the  only  one 
injured,  under  the  care  of  a  medical  man.  He 
kept  his  place  at  the  wheel,  his  supper  being 
brought  up  to  him  by  one  of  his  men,  and  shortly 
after  dark  came  within  sight  of  the  lights  of  a 
vessel  which  was  lying  at  anchor  in  the  stream. 
He  blew  the  whistle,  to  let  her  know  that  he  was 
approaching,  to  which  the  steamer,  which  proved 
to  be  a  gun-boat,  replied  by  hoisting  her  signal- 
lights.  Frank  having  no  signals,  whistled  again, 
and  rang  the  bells  for  the  engineer  to  run  slowly. 
As  soon  as  he  came  within  hailing  distance,  a 
voice  called  out: 

"Steamer  ahoy!" 

"Ay,  ay,  sir!"  shouted  Frank,  in  reply. 

"What  steamer  is  that?" 

"  Army  transport  Key-West,  bound  for  the  mouth 
of  the  river,  with  dispatches  from  the  admiral." 

"Come  alongside,  here,"  shouted  the  voice. 

"Ay,  ay,  sir,"  replied  Frank,  and  he  commenced 
turning  the  boat's  head  toward  the  vessel,  while  a 


126         FRANK    ON    THE    LOWER   MISSISSIPPI. 

hurrying  of  feet  and  a  noise  of  dropping  hand- 
spikes on  the  gun-deck,  told  him  in  plain  language 
that  the  captain  of  the  gun-boat  was  not  at  all 
satisfied  with  the  report  he  had  made,  and  had 
called  his  crew  to  quarters,  to  be  in  readiness  to 
sink  the  transport  if  she  should  attempt  to  run  by. 
It  was  an  uncommon  thing  during  the  expedition 
for  boats  to  run  in  Red  River  after  night,  unless 
supplied  with  the  necessary  signals,  and  the  young 
officer  was  not  at  all  surprised  at  the  precautions 
taken  by  the  gun-boat. 

Frank  by  this  time  had  turned  the  transport 
around,  and  was  coming  up  at  the  stern  of  the 
gun-boat,  when  the  lieutenant  came  on  deck,  and 
entering  the  pilot-house,  inquired: 

"  Are  you  the  captain  of  this  ship  ?  " 

"I  have  had  no  orders  to  act  as  such,"  replied 
Frank. 

"Then  why  do  you  answer  hails,  and  land  here 
without  my  permission?  I'll  have  you  court- 
martialed." 

"I  answered  the  hails  because  you  were  not  on 
deck ;  and  I  land  here  because  I  have  been  ordered 
to  do  so  by  the  captain  of  that  gun-boat." 

"Well,  I  am  not  under  his  orders;  he  has  no 


AN   UNLUCKY   FIGHT.  127 

authority  over  me,  and  I  order  you  to  turn  around 
at  once,  and  start  down  the  river  again." 

"If  I  shoukl  undertake  that,"  replied  Frank, 
with  a  laugli,  "  tliis  vessel  wouldn't  last  long. 
Every  cannon  on  this  side  of  that  gun-boat  points 
straight  at  us,  and  if  we  should  turn  around,  they 
would  blow  us  out  of  water." 

"  They  would,  eh  ?  "  said  the  lieutenant,  angrily. 
"I'll  have  the  Avhole  lot  of  them  up  before  a  court- 
martial.  I'm  a  second-lieutenant,  sir,  and  must 
not  be  detained,  as  I  am  on  important  business. 
Turn  around  at  once." 

Frank  made  no  reply,  and  at  that  moment  the 
bow  of  the  transport  touched  the  gun-boat,  and 
one  of  the  sailors  sprang  out  with  a  line.  As 
soon  as  the  boat  was  made  fast,  he  put  on  his 
side-arms,  and  taking  his  dispatches,  walked  out 
of  the  pilot-house,  leaving  the  lieutenant  almost 
beside  himself  with  rage.  As  soon  as  he  stepped 
on  board  the  gun-boat,  he  was  shown  into  the 
presence  of  Captain  Wilson,  the  same  who  had 
commanded  the  Ticonderoga  when  Frank  was  at- 
tached to  her. 

"  Oh,  is  it  you,  Mr.  Nelson? "  he  exclaimed, 
seizing   the  young   officer's  hand  and  shaking  it 


128        FRANK   ON   THE   LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

heartily.  "Then  it's  all  right.  I  did  not  know 
but  you  were  a  rebel,  and  were  going  to  run  by; 
so  I  got  my  guns  all  ready  to  sink  you.  Sit 
down.     Are  you  in  command?" 

Frank  replied  that  he  was  not,  and  then  pro- 
ceeded to  repeat  the  orders  he  had  received  from 
the  admiral,  telling  the  captain  of  the  fight  with 
the  battery,  but  carefully  omitting  any  thing  that 
related  to  the  conduct  of  the  lieutenant.  He  ended 
by  saying  that  the  pilot  was  wounded,  and  request- 
ing that  the  doctor  miojht  be  sent  on  board  to  at- 
tend  to  him,  which  was  done  at  once,  the  captain 
oiFering  to  send  another  pilot  to  take  his  place. 

The  transport  lay  alongside  nearly  two  hours, 
during  which  time  the  pilot's  wound,  which  was 
not  dangerous,  was  dressed.  The  doctor  then  de- 
clared that  he  was  able  to  go  on  to  the  mouth  of 
the  river,  where  he  could  be  placed  under  the  care 
of  an  army  surgeon.  Frank  then  took  his  leave 
of  the  captain,  and  stepped  on  board  the  transport, 
accompanied  by  one  of  the  gun-boat  pilots,  who 
was  well-known  to  the  young  officer,  and  he  was 
confident  that  the  lieutenant,  if  he  should  again 
take  it  into  his  head  to  give  any  unnecessary 
orders,  would  hear  the   truth   plainly  told.     He 


AN   UNLUCKY    FIGHT.  129 

\ras  an  old  acquaintance  of  the  wounded  pilot, 
from  whom  he  had  heard  the  whole  history  of 
the  trip  from  Alexandria;  but  as  he  had  said 
nothing  about  the  matter  to  Frank,  the  latter  was 
not  aware  that  he  knew  it. 

The  pilot  took  his  station  at  the  wheel,  while 
Frank  seated  himself  on  the  boiler-deck  railinsr. 
The  lieutenant  stood  close  by,  and,  without  wait- 
ing to  hear  whether  or  not  the  engineers  were 
ready  to  start,  shouted: 

"Untie  that  line." 

"Hold  on!"  shouted  the  pilot.  "Do  you  want 
to  send  us  adrift  without  any  steam?  Wait  till  I 
tell  you  we  're  all  ready." 

The  engineers  of  the  transport,  taking  advan- 
tage of  the  landing,  had  allowed  the  steam  to  go 
down,  in  order  to  repair  some  part  of  the  ma- 
chinery that  was  out  of  order,  and  had  the  line 
been  cast  off  just  then,  the  boat  would  have  been 
at  the  mercy  of  the  current,  and  in  danger  of  sink- 
ing, for  a  short  distance  below  lay  an  iron-clad 
ram,  anchored  in  the  river.  The  lieutenant  had 
given  his  command  in  a  loud  tone,  in  order  to  be 
heard  by  the  crew  of  the  gun-boat,  and  the  rebuff 
he  had  met  from  the  pilot  did  not  tend  to  quiet 


130         FRANK   ON   THE   LOWER   MISSISSIPPI. 

his  feelings,  which  were  considerably  agitated  by 
the  thought  that  he  was  not  in  reality  the  com- 
mander of  the  vessel.  He  was  astonished  at  the 
pertinacity  with  which  his  subordinates  (as  he 
considered  them)  countermanded  his  orders,  and 
wondered  what  was  the  use  of  being  captain  of  a 
vessel  if  he  was  not  to  be  obeyed.  But  perhaps 
the  new  pilot  did  not  know  who  he  was.  He 
would  inform  him.  With  this  determination,  he 
walked  up  to  the  pilot-house,  and  inquired: 

''Do  you  know,  sir,  that  I  command  this  boat?" 
"Yes,"  replied  the  pilot,  "I  know  all  about  that. 
But  you  had  better  go  and  turn  in;  you  are  only 
in  the  way  here.  All  ready,  Mr.  Nelson,"  he  con- 
tinued, as  the  engineer's  bell  rang  at  this  monrent. 
Frank  gave  the  necessary  orders,  and  in  a  few 
moments  they  were  again  on  their  way  down  the 
river,  while  the  lieutenant  walked  into  the  cabin 
and  threw  himself  on  a  lounge,  heartily  wishing 
there  were  no  gun-boat  men  in  existence.  As 
soon  as  they  were  fairly  under  way,  Frank,  seeing 
that  the  lieutenant  took  no  further  notice  of  what 
was  going  on,  ran  below  to  set  the  watch;  then, 
after  satisfying  himself  that  every  thing  was  right 
g.bout  decks,  and  that  their  weapons  were  ready 


AN    UNLUCKY    FKJIIT.  131 

for  instant  use,  he  stretched  himself  on  a  blanket 
in  the  cabin,  and  with  his  precious  dispatches 
(which  he  had  carried  with  him  wherever  he  went) 
for  a  pillow,  was  soon  fast  asleep. 

About  midnight  he  was  suddenly  awakened  by 
a  terrific  crash,  and  sprang  to  his  feet  to  find  the 
cabin  shrouded  in  darkness  and  filled  with  smoke. 
Hastily  thrusting  his  dispatches  into  his  pocket, 
he  commenced  groping  for  his  side-arms,  which, 
on  retiring,  he  had  placed  by  his  side,  while  a 
commotion  on  deck  told  him  that  the  crew  were 
hurrying  to  their  stations.  When  he  had  found 
his  sword,  he  ran  out  of  the  cabin,  and  saw  his 
men  drawn  up  behind  the  cotton-bales,  under 
charge  of  the  coxswain,  who  ran  up  to  his  officer 
and  hurriedly  asked  for  orders.  The  latter  did 
not  lonoj  remain  icrnorant  of  the  nature  of  the  at- 
tack,  for  a  shell  plunged  into  the  cabin  which  he 
had  just  left,  and,  exploding  with  a  deafening 
report,  filled  the  air  with  fragments  of  furniture, 
and  tore  a  large  hole  in  the  deck  above  the  boil- 
ers. The  night  was  very  dark,  but  still  there  was 
light  enough  for  Frank  to  see  that  the  boat,  no 
longer  obeying  her  helm,  was  drifting  broadside 
toward  the  battery,  the  position  of  which  could  be 


132         FRANK    ON    THE    LOWER    MISSISSIPPI. 

easily  determined  by  the  flash  of  its  guns ;  and  it 
was  evident  that  unless  those  guns  could  be  speed- 
ily silenced,  the  transport  would  be  altogether  de- 
molished, or  disabled  so  that  she  would  fall  into 
the  hands  of  the  rebels.  Turning  to  the  coxswain, 
Frank  inquired: 

''Is  that  cutter  ready  for  immediate  use?" 

"  All  ready,  sir,"  was  the  answer. 

"Let  loose  those  guns,  then.     Fire  I" 

The  two  howitzers  belched  forth  their  contents, 
but  while  they  were  being  reloaded,  another  broad- 
side from  the  battery  plunged  into  the  boat,  fol- 
lowed by  the  hissing  and  shrieking  of  steam.  A 
shot  had  struck  the  boilers!  The  thought  had 
scarcely  passed  through  Frank's  mind,  when  the 
pilot  sprang  down  the  steps,  exclaiming : 

"Mr.  Kelson,  the  tiller-rope  is  shot  away,  sir, 
and  the  boat  is  on  fire ! " 

In  short,  much  sooner  than  Frank  had  expected, 
the  transport  was  a  complete  wreck. 

The  cotton-bales  on  the  guards  had  been  set  on 
fire  by  a  bursting  shell;  the  tiller-rope  shot  away, 
rendering  it  impossible  to  steer  the  boat;  the  boil- 
ers penetrated,  and  the  engine-room  filled  with  hot 
steam,  which  now  began  to  rise  and  envelop  the 


AN  UNLUCKY  FIGHT  133 

men  on  the  boiler-deck.  Soldiers  and  Bailors  at 
once  deserted  their  quarters  and  ran  about  in  con- 
fusion, while  Frank,  with  his  handkerchief  in  his 
mouth,  to  prevent  his  inhaling  the  steam,  stood 
wondering,  where  so  many  things  were  to  be  done, 
which  ought  to  be  done'  first.  He  was  quickly 
called  to  action  by  the  pilot,  who,  as  he  ran  down 
the  steps  that  led  to  the  forecastle,  exclaimed : 
"Let  every  man  take  care  of  himself!" 
When  that  man,  who  had  been  in  nearly  all  the 
battles  fought  on  the  Mississippi  River — who  had 
run  the  batteries  at  Vicksburg,  and  had  twice,  in 
the  heat  of  action,  swam  from  a  sinking  vessel — 
when  he  deserted  his  post,  it  was  useless  for  any 
one  to  remain.  The  transport  could  be  of  no  fur- 
ther use  to  them,  and  to  stay  on  board  was  to  court 
either  death  from  the  hot,  blinding  steam,  or  the 
shells  that  all  the  while  came  crashing  into  the 
boat,  or  capture  and  hard  treatment  at  the  hands 
of  the  rebels.  So  thought  Frank,  as  he  followed 
his  men  to  the  forecastle,  intending  to  enter  the 
cutter,  and,  if  possible,  run  by  the  battery  and 
reach  the  Mississippi. 

The  steam  rolled  over  the  lower  deck  in  thick 
clouds,  rendering  it  impossible  for  him  to   go  aft. 


134         FRANK    ON   THE   LOWER   MISSISSIPPI. 

There  was  now  but  one  way  to  reach  the  cutter, 
and  that  was  to  jump  overboard  and  swim  to  her. 
This  order  was  promptly  given,  and  as  promptly 
obeyed  by  the  men,  who  sprang  into  the  water, 
one  after  another,  followed  by  Frank,  who,  how- 
ever, had  lingered  a  moment  to  pull  off  his  side- 
arms  and  coat,  which  would  only  impede  his  prog- 
ress, and  to  secure  his  dispatches,  which  he  tied 
to  his  waist  with  a  strong  cord  he  happened  to 
have  in  his  pocket. 

But  when  he  reached  the  stern  of  the  boat,  he 
found  that  this  means  of  escape  had  been  de- 
stroyed. A  shell  from  the  battery  had  struck  the 
cutter,  and  her  wreck,  still  held  by  the  rope  with 
which  she  had  been  made  fast,  floated  along  with 
the  steamer,  which  was  slowly  drifting  toward  the 
bank.  Only  one  of  his  men  was  to  be  seen,  and 
that  was  the  coxswain,  who  was  holding  on  to  the 
wreck,  awaiting  the  appearance  of  his  ojfficer. 
The  others,  giving  up  all  hopes  of  escape,  had 
doubtless  turned  toward  the  shore. 

"Now,  here's  a  job,  sir,"  said  the  coxswain, 
apparently  as  unconcerned  as  if  there  had  not 
been  a  rebel  within  a  hundred  miles.  "Here  is 
a  job.     What's  to  be  done  now,  sii'?" 


AN   UNLUCKY   FIGHT.  135 

Frank  had  just  asked  himself  the  same  question. 
He  could  easily  reach  the  shore,  which  was  but  a 
few  yards  distant,  but  there  he  would  certainly  be 
captured  by  the  rebels,  who  were  running  along 
the  bank,  yelling  like  demons. 

There  was  but  one  course  he  could  pursue  and 
save  himself  and  dispatches,  and  that  was  to  swim 
down  the  river  and  endeavor  to  pass  the  battery. 
In  the  darkness  he  might  escape  undiscovered. 

"Bob,  are  you  a  good  swimmer?"  he  asked, 
turning  to  the  coxswain. 

"  Yes  sir !  can  swim  all  day,"  was  the  reply. 

"  Then  follow  me  as  silently  as  possible,  and  we 
may  yet  escape." 

As  Frank  spoke,  he  swam  down  the  river  with 
swift,  noiseless  strokes,  anxious  to  get  as  far  as 
possible  from  the  boat  before  the  fire,  which  now 
began  to  make  rapid  headway,  should  light  up  the 
river  and  discover  them  to  the  rebels.  The  latter 
had  ceased  firing,  and  were  scattered  along  the 
bank,  making  prisoners  of  the  transport's  crew  as 
fast  as  they  touched  the  shore.  When  Frank  had 
reached  the  place  where  the  battery  was  stationed, 
he  turned  upon  his  back,  and  allowed  himself  to 
float  along  with  the  current,  and,  aided  by  the 


136         FRANK    ON    THE    LOWER    MISSISSIPPI. 

darkness  and  the  smoke  of  the  burning  transport, 
■which  blew  down  the  river,  he  and  his  companion 
passed  the  dangerous  point  undiscovered.  Here 
Frank  again  struck  out,  his  every  movement  fol- 
lowed by  the  coxswain,  who  was  close  behind  him, 
and  who  floated  through  the  water  like  a  cork. 

For  nearly  an  hour  they  remained  in  the  river, 
and  it  was  not  until  the  shouts  of  the  rebels  could 
be  no  longer  heard,  that  Frank,  feeling  for  the 
present  safe  from  pursuit,  swam  to  the  shore  and 
sat  down  to  rest,  and  to  determine  upon  their 
future  movements. 


UP   THE   WASHITA. 


137 


CHAPTER    IX. 

LL  noise  of  pursuit,  if  any  had  been 
made,  had  died  away,  and  not  a 
sound  disturbed  the  stillness  of  the 
woods.  But  Frank  had  learned,  by 
experience,  that  silence  was  not  in- 
dicative of  safety,  for  it  might,  at 
any  moment,  be  broken  by  the  report 
of  muskets,  or  a  sudden  demand  for  surrender 
from  enemies  who  had  followed  them  so  silently 
that  their  approach  had  not  been  discovered.  He 
bent  suspicious  glances  upon  the  woods  on  all  sides 
of  him,  and  was  ready  to  plunge  into  the  water 
again  upon  hearing  the  least  sounds  of  pursuit. 

What  had  become  of  the  wounded  pilot,  the 
lieutenant,  and  the  rest  of  the  cutter's  crew?  All 
who  had  succeeded  in  reaching  the  shore,  were, 
beyond  a  doubt,  prisoners. 


138          FRANK    ON    THE    LOWER   MISSISSIPPI. 

Frank  shuddered  when  he  thought  of  the  hard 
fare  and  harder  treatment  that  awaited  the  poor 
fellows,  recalling  to  mind  incidents  of  his  own  cap- 
ture and  escape,  which  made  him  doubly  anxious 
to  reach  the  Mississippi  as  soon  as  possible,  where 
he  would  be  safe  among  friends. 

After  resting  nearly  an  hour,  for  their  long 
swim  had  wearied  them,  they  continued  their  flight 
down  the  river,  being  careful  to  keep  close  to  the 
bank,  so  that  in  case  of  emergency  they  could 
ao^ain  take  to  the  water.  The  shore  was  covered 
with  logs  and  bushes,  and  their  progress  was  slow 
and  laborious.  But  daylight  came  at  length,  and 
shortly  afterward  they  discovered  a  transport  com- 
ing up  the  river.  When  she  arrived  opposite  to 
them,  Frank  hailed  her,  and  the  boat  landed  and 
took  them  on  board.  Frank  gave  the  information 
that  there  was  a  battery  above,  and  the  captain, 
not  liking  the  idea  of  trusting  his  unarmed  vessel 
within  range  of  its  guns,  ordered  the  pilot  to  round- 
to  and  start  down  the  river  again.  The  order  was 
obeyed  at  once,  and  Frank  and  the  coxswain,  who 
now  began  to  breathe  more  freely,  went  below 
and  stood  before  the  fire-doors  to  dry  their  cloth- 
ing.    About  noon  they  arrived  at  the  Mississippi 


UP   THE    WASHITA.  139 

"Rivor,  the  tr.insport  landing  alongside  the  vessel 
of  the  commanding  naval  officer,  to  whom  Frank 
delivered  his  dispatches  in  triumph,  at  the  same 
time  apologizing  for  his  appearance,  for  he  was 
without  coat,  hat,  or  side-arms. 

Among  these  dispatches  of  the  admiral  were 
orders  for  two  tin-clads  to  report  at  Alexandria. 
These  vessels  were  to  be  used  to  keep  the  banks 
clear  of  rebels,  to  carry  dispatches,  and  to  convoy 
unarmed  steamers  up  and  down  the  river.  The 
necessary  orders  were  promptly  issued,  and  in  a 
short  time  the  tin-clads  came  alongside ;  their  com- 
manders received  their  instructions,  after  which  the 
vessels  steamed  up  Red  River,  one  of  them  having 
Frank  and  the  coxswain  on  board.  The  former 
had  in  his  possession  several  official  documents 
addressed  to  the  admiral.  If  he  could  have  seen 
the  inside  of  one  of  them,  he  would  have  found 
(greatly  to  his  surprise)  that  it  contained  a  com- 
plete history  of  the  run  from  Alexandria,  that  it 
spoke  in  ihe  highest  terms  of  his  skill  and  bravery, 
and  ended  with  a  recommendation  for  a  master's 
appointment.  This  letter  had  been  written  by  the 
captain  to  whom  Frank  had  delivered  his  dis- 
patches,  he    having  learned   the   full  particulars 


140         FRANK    ON    THE    LOWER   MISSISSIPPI. 

from  the  coxswain,  whom  he  had  summoned  into 
his  presence  while  Frank  was  in  the  wardroom 
eating  his  dinner.  The  sailor  described  all  that 
had  happened  in  glowing  language^  dwelling  with 
a  good  deal  of  emphasis  upon  the  "pluck"  dis- 
played by  his  young  officer,  and  the  ignorance  and 
cowardice  of  the  lieutenant,  and  ended  with  say- 
ing, "He  didn't  think  of  nothing,  sir,  but  them 
dispatches;  and  it  an't  every  man  that  could  have 
saved  'em,  sir."  The  captain  fully  agreed  with 
the  coxswain,  and  when  the  latter  was  dismissed, 
he  gave  his  pants  a  vigorous  hitch,  and  said  to 
himself,  "If  Mr.  Nelson  don't  get  another  stripe 
around  his  arm  now,  may  I  be  keelhauled."  And 
one,  to  have  seen  him,  would  have  thought  that  he 
was  as  much  pleased  at  the  prospect  as  though  he 
was  about  to  receive  the  appointment  himself. 
Frank,  of  course,  knew  nothing  of  this,  and  little 
imagining  that  he  was  carrying  a  recommenda- 
tion for  his  promotion,  he  put  the  letters  carefully 
away  in  his  pocket,  thinking,  no  doubt,  they  were 
all-important  official  documents. 

A  short  time  before  dark  they  arrived  at  the 
junction  of  the  Black  and  Washita  Rivers,  where 
Frank  found  the  Michigan  anchored,  in  company 


UP   THE    WASHITA.  141 

with  four  or  five  other  gun-boats.  He  reported  his 
safe  return  to  his  captain,  and  then  went  into  the 
wardroom  and  sat  down  to  report  to  the  admiral 
by  letter,  according  to  his  instructions.  After  all 
he  had  passed  through,  one  would  suppose  that 
his  report  would  have  been  a  long  one;  but  he 
wisely  thought  that  all  the  admiral  cared  to  know 
was  that  his  dispatches  had  been  safely  delivered. 
He  therefore  wrote,  in  the  briefest  manner — 

"  I  have  the  honor  to  report  that,  in  obedience  to  your 
orders  of  the  20th  inst.,  I  took  passage  on  board  the 
United  J^tates  army  transport  "Kej'-West,"  for  the  mouth 
of  lied  Iviver,  with  dispatches,  which  were  delivered  into 
the  hands  of  the  commanding  naval  officer  there.  I  have 
to-day  returned  on  board  my  vessel." 

This  was  all.  No  glowing  description  of  the 
gallant  manner  in  which  he  had  taken  the  trans- 
port by  the  battery,  no  mention  of  the  ever- 
watchful  eye  he  had  kept  upon  his  dispatches,  or 
of  his  long  swim  from  the  burning  wreck,  but  a 
few  simple  lines,  that  told  the  admiral  all  he 
wished  to  know;  namely,  that  his  letters  had 
reached  their  destination.  This  report  Frank 
placed  before  the  captain,  who  wrote  upon  it 
*' approved  and  respectfully   forwarded,"  (for   all 


142         FRANK    ON   THE    LOWER   MISSISSIPPI. 

letters  from  subordinate  officers  to  the  admiral 
had  to  pass  through  the  captain's  hands,)  and  the 
letter  was  put  into  the  general  mail.  Frank  then, 
in  obedience  to  the  captain's  order,  proceeded  to 
give  that  gentleman  a  minute  account  of  the 
manner  in  which  he  had  executed  his  orders, 
together  with  the  names  of  the  men  belonging  to 
the  cutter's  crew  who  w^ere  missing,  and  wound 
up  with  the  request  that  "something  might  be 
done  for  the  coxswain,"  for  he  was  a  brave  man, 
and  a  good  sailor.  As  the  Michigan  had  but  one 
boatswain's  mate,  (she  was  entitled  to  two,)  the 
captain  determined  to  promote  the  man,  who  was 
at  once  summoned  into  the  cabin  and  presented 
with  the  boatswain's  whistle.  He  retired,  proud 
of  his  promotion,  and  firm  in  his  belief  that  "the 
captain  and  Mr.  Kelson  were  the  best  men 
afloat." 

Frank,  so  weary  that  he  could  scarcely  walk, 
was  glad  to  get  to  bed;  but  the  captain  sat  for  a 
long  time  at  his  desk,  writing  a  letter  to  the 
admiral,  which  contained  the  "statement  that,  in 
his  opinion,  "Acting  Ensign  Frank  Xelson,  by 
the  gallant  manner  in  which  he  had  executed  the 
important  business   intrusted   to   him,  had  nobly 


UP    THE    WASniTA.  143 

earned  his  promotion,  and,  by  the  skill  and  judg- 
ment he  had  exhibited  in  handling  the  transport, 
had  shown  that  he  was  fully  capable  of  taking 
charge  of  a  vessel  of  his  own,  and  that  his  past 
history,  taken  in  connection  with  his  recent  ex- 
ploit, was  sufficient  guarantee  that  the  honor  of 
the  flag  would  never  suffer  in  his  hands." 

Frank,  all  unconscious  of  the  admiration  his 
gallant  behavior  had  excited  in  the  mind  of  the 
captain,  slept  soundly  until  daylight,  when  he  was 
called  up  to  get  the  vessel  under  way.  The  ex- 
pedition was  composed  of  five  gun-boats,  and  its 
destination  was  Monroe,  a  small  town  about  two 
hundred  miles  up  "Washita  Eiver.  Its  object  was 
to  capture  cotton,  and  to  destroy  any  fortifications 
that  mi^jjht"  be  found  alon^  the  banks.  The  re- 
mainder  of  the  fleet,  which  was  at  Alexandria 
when  Frank  left,  had  gone  up  Red  River,  toward 
Shreveport.  Had  he  been  allowed  his  choice  in 
the  matter,  Frank  would  have  preferred  to  ac- 
company the  latter  expedition,  as  he  then  would 
have  been  able,  after  Shreveport  had  been  cap- 
tured, to  visit  the  prison  in  which  he  had  been 
confined,  and  from  which  he  had  escaped  in  so 
remarkable  a  manner.     He   thouorht   over  all  the 


144         FRANK    ON    THE    LOWER   MISSISSIPPI. 

scenes  through  which  he  had  passed — his  capture, 
the  march  to  Shreveport,  his  flight  from  the 
prison,  the  bayonet-fight  in  the  woods,  the  chase 
by  blood-hounds — and  they  seemed  to  him  like  a 
dream. 

George  Le  Dell,  who  was  the  ofiicer  of  the 
deck,  stood  close  beside  Frank,  gazing  about  as 
if  every  object  that  met  his  eye  was  a  familiar 
one.  Every  turn  of  the  paddle-wheels  was  bring- 
ing him  nearer  to  the  home  of  his  childhood,  from 
■which  he  was  now  excluded  by  the  stern  mandate 
of  his  rebel  father.  Ever  since  he  had  been 
attached  to  the  Michigan,  he  and  Frank  had  been 
bosom  friends.  The  dangers  through  which  they 
had  passed  while  fugitives  from  a  rebel  prison — 
their  hair-breadth  escapes  from  recapture — could 
never  be  forgotten.  No  one  on  board  besides  Frank 
knew  any  thing  of  George's  past  history.  In 
accordance  with  the  latter's  desire,  the  secret  was 
closely  kept,  and  no  one  imagined  that  the  pale, 
quiet  young  officer  was  any  relation  to  the  rebel 
general  whose  house  it  had  been  ordered  should 
be  burned.  Ever  since  the  receipt  of  that  order, 
every  one  remarked  that  George  Le  Dell  had  been 
unusually  thoughtful,  but  no  one  knew  the  cause. 


UP   THE   WASHITA.  145 

"Mr.  Nelson,"  said  he,  at  length,  "I  wish  I 
could  have  gone  up  Red  River.  I  want  to  see 
home  once  more,  but  I  do  n't  want  to  stand  by 
and  see  the  old  house  burned  over  the  heads  of 
my  mother  and  sisters.  I  do  n't  deny  that  the 
order  is  a  just  one,  but  I  don't  want  to  see  it 
executed.  I  begin  to  believe  that  I  am  a  good 
prophet,"  he  continued,  after  a  moment's  pause. 
"I  told  father,  in  the  last  letter  I  ever  wrote  to 
him,  that  this  war  would  bring  him  nothing  but 
suffering  and  disgrace,  and  I  think  he  will  find 
that  I  told  the  truth." 

As  George  ceased  speaking,  he  turned  and 
walked  to  another  part  of  the  deck,  to  meet  the 
captain,  who  at  that  moment  came  out  of  his  cabin. 

Among  all  the  ship's  company,  there  was  but 
one  that  could  sympathize  with  George,  and  that 
one  was  Frank.  The  young  officer  cherished  an 
honest  enmity  toward  the  traitors  whose  bloody 
hands  were  stretched  out  to  pull  down  the  Old 
Flag  under  which  his  ancestors  had  fought  and 
died,  but  when  Frank  looked  upon  the  pale  face 
of  his  messmate,  and  listened  to  his  oft-repeated 
sentiments  of  loyalty,  and  heard  him,  in  his  quiet 
way,  expressing  his  firm  belief  in  the  final  tri- 
10 


146         FRANK   ON    THE    LOWER    MISSISSIPPI. 

umph  of  the  Government  and  the  total  overthrow 
of  the  rebellion,  ^nd  -when  he  witnessed  his  quiet 
submission  to  his  cruel  fate,  knowing  that  he  was 
cut  oif  from  all  further  intercourse  with  his  rela- 
tives, he  could  not  help  pitying  both  him  and 
his  rebel  parents.  But  he  knew,  from  those  let- 
ters he  had  read,  and  which  George  still  pre- 
served, and  from  what  he  had  witnessed  on  that 
memorable  night  when  he  and  his  companions  had 
stopped  at  the  plantation  and  asked  for  food,  that 
the  general  and  his  family  had  taken  part  with 
the  rebellion,  not  to  secure  any  rights  which  they 
imagined  had  been  denied  them,  but  to  assist  in 
*' establishing  a  confederacy  of  their  own,  whose 
corner-stone  should  be  slavery,"  and  to  destroy 
"  every  vestige  of  the  old  Union."  Like  George, 
he  knew  that  the  order  to  burn  the  house  was  a 
just  one;  but  he  would  have  been  much  better 
pleased  had  some  other  boat  been  selected  to  exe- 
cute it.  He  did  not  pity  the  rebels  so  much,  but 
he  did  not  want  to  witness  the  sorrow  his  mess- 
mate would  experience  when  he  saw  the  home 
of  his  boyhood  enveloped  in  flames. 

The  next  day,  as  the  two  friends  stood  together 
on  deck,  George  suddenly  said — 


UP   THE    WASHITA.  147 

"  "We  're  almost  there.  I  know  these  woods 
well.  I  've  caught  many  a  string  of  fish  ofi"  that 
log  that  lies  in  the  water  just  ahead." 

About  half  a  mile  further  on,  the  Michigan 
came  round  a  sharp  bend  in  the  river,  and  they 
saw  the  plantation  before  them.  Every  thing 
looked  just  as  it  did  on  that  long-to-be-remem- 
bered night  when  George  had  suddenly  presented 
himself  before  his  relatives,  who  thought  him  safe 
in  the  prison  at  Tyler.  There  were  the  broad 
stone  steps  that  led  up  to  the  portico  on  which  the 
major  had  stood  while  making  known  his  wants, 
and  just  in  front  of  them  were  the  posts  to  which 
the  general  and  his  sons  had  fastened  their  horses 
before  entering  the  house. 

The  fleet  did  not  stop,  as  they  had  expected, 
but  kept  on  up  the  river,  and  in  a  few  moments 
more  the  plantation  was  out  of  sight.  Ko  doubt 
the  burning  of  the  house  was  to  be  put  off  until 
their  return. 

The  expedition  reached  Monroe  without  mishap, 
and  without  seeing  a  single  armed  rebel,  only 
stopping  now  and  then  to  pick  up  cotton,  which 
was  scattered  all  along  the  bank.  The  vessels 
remained  at  anchor  in  front  of  the  town  for  two 


148         FRAXK    ON    THE    LOWER   MISSISSIPPI. 

days,  and  after  burning  the  public  buildings,  and 
picking  up  some  escaped  Union  prisoners,  started 
down  the  river  again.  The  Michigan  led  the  way, 
and  on  the  afternoon  of  the  second  day  came  to 
anchor  in  front  of  General  Le  Dell's  plantation. 

"Mr.  Nelson,"  said  the  captain,  as  he  stepped 
down  out  of  the  pilot-house,  "order  two  compa- 
nies of  small-armed  men  to  be  called  away,  and 
you  and  Mr.  Le  Dell  get  ready  to  go  on  shore 
with  me.  By  the  way,"  he  added,  turning  to 
George,  "I  have  orders  to  burn  out  this  rebel 
namesake  of  yours." 

"So  I  have  heard,  sir,"  replied  George,  while 
not  a  muscle  of  his  face  quivered  to  show  the 
surprise  and  sorrow  he  felt  at  being  obliged  to  ac- 
company the  expedition  ashore.  He  had  hoped 
that  some  other  officer  would  be  chosen  to  accom- 
pany the  captain,  but  he  could  not  ask  to  be  ex- 
cused from  duty  without  exciting  suspicions.  The 
reason  why  he  did  not  wish  to  go  could  be  easily 
guessed,  and  if  the  truth  became  known,  it  would 
be  followed  by  what  he  particularly  desired  to 
avoid — the  sympathy  of  all  his  messmates.  He 
would  accompany  the  expedition,  but  he  would  nei- 
ther enter  the  house  or  go  into  the  presence  of  his 


VV    THE   WASHITA.  149 

mother  and  sisters,  and  lie  might  return  without 
being  recoiinized.  Bv  the  time  he  had  buckled  on 
his  sword  and  returned  to  the  deck  the  men  were 
ready,  when,  in  obe<lience  to  Frank's  order,  he 
marched  them  on  board  the  tug,  which  Lay  at  the 
stern  of  the  Michigan.  When  they  reached  the 
shore,  Frank  instructed  George  to  post  sentries 
all  around  the  house,  both  to  guard  against  sur- 
prise, and  also  to  prevent  the  escape  of  any  rebel 
soldiers  who  might  chance  to  be  in  the  building, 
after  which  he  accompanied  the  captain  to  the 
door,  where  they  were  met  by  Mrs.  Le  Pell  and 
her  daughters,  who  coldly  received  their  saluta- 
tions, and  waited  for  them  to  make  known  the 
object  of  their  visit. 

"Madam,"  said  the  captain,  addressing  himself 
to  Mrs.  Le  Dell,  "I  am  ordered  to  burn  your 
house.'*' 

"  I  have  been  expecting  it  for  a  long  time,"  was 
the  reply. 

"  I  will  give  you  a  reasonable  time,"  continued 
the  captain,  "to  remove  your  valuables." 

The  lady  then  requested  that  an  hour  might  be 
allowed  her  to  send  for  a  neighbor,  who  lived  sev- 
eral miles  distant,  to  come  with  his  team  to  remove 


150         FRANK    OX    THE    LOWER    MISSISSIPPI. 

the  furniture  to  a  place  of  safety,  as  all  the  wagons 
about  the  plantation  had  been  given  up  to  the 
rebel  army.  This  was  granted,  and  a  note,  which 
w^as  first  presented  for  the  inspection  of  the  cap- 
tain, was  at  once  dispatched  to  summon  the  neigh- 
bor. 

In  the  meantime,  Frank  and  George  were  stroll- 
ing about  the  plantation,  the  latter  feasting  his 
eyes  on  every  familiar  object,  and  recalling  to 
mind  incidents  of  the  '^good  old  times,"  as  he  ex- 
pressed it.  Frank  also  recognized  two  objects; 
one  was  the  barn  where  he  and  his  fellow-fugi- 
tives had  halted  to  hold  a  consultation  before  going 
up  to  the  house;  and  the  other  was  the  fence  be- 
hind which  the  captain  had  left  their  prisoner, 
bound  hand  and  foot.  While  thus  engaged,  a  lit- 
tle boy,  who  had  approached  them  without  being 
discovered,  suddenly  called  out, 

"  George ! " 

The  latter  turned,  as  the  familiar  voice  reached 
his  ear,  and  held  out  his  hands  to  his  brother,  who 
sprang  toward  him,  threw  his  arms  around  his 
neck,  and  burst  into  tears.  There  was  one  among 
George's  relatives  who  still  remembered  and  loved 
him. 


UP  THE   WASHITA.  151 

^'George,"  sobbed  the  little  fellow,  "are  you  a 
Yankee  'bolitionist?" 

Tears  choked  George's  utterance,  and  the  boy, 
suddenly  breaking  from  his  arms,  ran  toward  the 
house,  and  scrambling  up  the  steps,  burst  into  the 
room  where  the  captain  and  ladies  were  seated, 
and  astonished  them  all  with : 

"  Mother,  mother !  George  is  here !     He  's  come 

back!" 

Both  mother  and  daughter  appeared  to  be  con- 
siderably agitated  upon  receiving  this  news,  and 
the  captain  noticing  it,  the  suspicion  flashed  across 
his  mind  that  it  was  one  of  their  rebel  friends. 
He  glanced  out  at  the  door,  and  saw  his  two  offi- 
cers standing  quietly  together,  the  sentinels  walk- 
in  cr  their  beats,  and  felt  satisfied  that  the  rebel, 
whoever  he  was,  might  consider  himself  a  prisoner. 

"Who  do  you  mean,  my  little  man?"  he  asked, 
putting  his  hand  on  the  boy's  head.  "What  is  his 
other  name?" 

"  George  Le  Dell,"  replied  the  boy,  promptly. 
"He's  my  brother.  He's  out  there,"  and  he 
pointed  toward  the  place  where  George  and  Frank 
were  standing. 

"Is  that  your  brother?"  asked  the  captain  in 


152         FRANK    ON   THE   LOWER   MISSISSIPPI. 

surprise,  as  he  turned  toward  Mrs.  Le  Dell  for  an 
explanation. 

"I  have  a  son  in  the  Federal  navy,"  replied  the 
lady. 

"Then,  madam,"  said  the  captain,  "if  that 
young  man  out  there  is  your  son,  allow  me  to  say 
that  you  have  every  reason  to  be  proud  of  him." 

At  this  moment  the  neighbor  for  whom  they  had 
sent  arrived,  and  he  and  the  captain  held  a  long 
conversation;  after  which,  to  his  surprise,  Frank 
was  ordered  to  collect  the  men  and  march  them 
on  board  the  tug.  The  Michigan  remained  at  her 
anchorage  until  the  flag-ship  of  the  expedition 
came  down,  when  the  two  captains  had  a  short 
consultation,  and  both  vessels  got  under  way  and 
steamed  down  the  river.  The  reason  given  why 
the  order  to  burn  the  house  was  not  executed  was 
this:  Unlike  the  majority  of  rebel  commanders, 
General  Le  Dell  had  always  treated  Union  prison- 
ers who  had  fallen  into  his  hands  with  the  greatest 
humanity.  Although  he  seemed  to  be  particularly 
spiteful  toward  George,  whom  he  called  a  "young 
traitor,"  he  always  endeavored  to  make  the  con- 
dition of  other  prisoners  as  tolerable  as  possible. 
The  truth  of  this  was  attested  by  the  soldiers  they 


UP   THE   WASHITA.  153 

had  picked  up  at  ^lonroe,  all  of  whom  were  offi- 
cers, and  they  had  done  much  toward  saving  the 
property.  The  captain  of  the  Michigan  had  de- 
layed to  fulfill  his  orders  until  the  arrival  of  his 
superior,  in  order  to  communicate  some  news  he 
had  received  from  the  man  who  had  been  sent 
to  remove  the  furniture,  and  when  the  flag-ship 
arrived,  the  order  had  been  countermanded. 

"  Perhaps  every  thing  will  come  out  right  after 
the  war,"  said  George,  as  the  two  friends  stood 
"watching  the  plantation  as  long  as  it  remained  in 
sight.  "  If  it  does,  we  '11  have  the  old  house  to 
live  in." 

On  the  way  down  the  river,  large  quantities  of 
cotton  were  captured,  which  made  both  officers  and 
men  look  forward  to  a  good  share  of  prize-money, 
and  one  afternoon — about  a  week  after  leaving 
Monroe — they  reached  Black  River  in  safety. 


154        FRANK    ON    THE    LOWER    MISSISSIPPI. 


CHAPTER    X 


HE  next  day,  in  obedience  to  orders 
M  1  from  the  admiral,  the  Michigan 
'^  steamed  up  Red  River,  and  came 
to  an  anchor  in  front  of  fort  De  Russy. 
A  few  rebel  soldiers  had  taken  posses- 
sion of  the  fortifications,  and  the  vessel 
had  scarcely  dropped  her  anchor  when 
they  opened  upon  her  with  muskets.  All  hands 
were  ordered  under  cover,  and  for  two  days  were 
kept  closely  confined  below.  The  bullets,  which 
constantly  whistled  over  the  deck,  did  no  damage 
beyond  cutting  down  the  flag — which,  however 
was  promptly  hoisted  again — and  battering  up  the 
officers'  rooms  on  the  quarter-deck,  which  were 
not  ii'on-clad.  Several  attempts  were  made  to 
dislodge  the  rebels,  but,  as  usual,  without  success. 
On  the  third  day,  however,  a  heavy  firing  up  the 


THE   PROMOTION.  155 

river,  in  tlie  direction  of  Alexandria,  announced 
that  the  expedition  ^vas  returning,  and  the  rebels, 
fearing  capture,  hastily  withdrew.  Toward  eve- 
ning the  fleet  came  in  sight,  some  of  the  trans- 
ports having  gun-boats  alongside  of  them  for 
protection.  The  entire  fleet  bore  marks  of  the 
handiwork  of  the  rebels,  in  the  shape  of  battered 
casemates,  broken  chimneys,  and  shattered  upper- 
"works.  Little  had  been  accomplished  beyond  the 
capture  of  cotton,  and  both  officers  and  men 
seemed  delighted  to  find  themselves  once  more  on 
the  way  to  the  Mississippi  River. 

In  about  an  hour  after  the  first  boats  of  the 
fleet  had  made  their  appearance,  a  tin-clad  came 
down,  bearing  the  admiral's  flag,  and  rounded-to 
and.  landed  a  short  distance  below  the  Michigan. 
Close  behind  her  came  another  of  the  mosquito 
fleet,  towed  by  a  transport.  Both  vessels  were 
badly  cut  up,  especially  the  gun-boat,  which  was 
almost  a  wreck.  Both  chimneys  had  either  been 
broken  off"  by  branches  of  trees  or  shattered  by  a 
shell,  and  her  casemates  were  pierced  in  a  hundred 
places.  Her  engines  had  also  been  disabled,  and 
her  wheel  hung  motionless  in  the  water.  Still  she 
retained    enough   of  her  former  appearance   for 


156         FRAXK   OX    THE    LOWER    MISSISSIPPI. 

Frank  to  recognize  in  her  his  old  vessel,  the 
Boxer;  besides,  he  saw  his  cousin  on  the  guards 
waving  his  handkerchief  to  him.  "While  Frank 
stood  watching  the  vessel,  wondering  how  any  of 
her  crew  could  have  escaped,  and  how  Archie  had 
conducted  himself  durinor  the  fi(2;hts  throucrh  which 
he  had  passed,  the  captain  came  up  out  of  his 
cabin  and  exclaimed: 

"Mr.  Nelson,  you're  wanted  on  board  the  flag- 
ship !  Do  n't  wait  to  get  your  side-arms,  but  go 
at  once.     The  admiral  is  in  a  great  hurry  to  see 

you!" 

Frank,  wondering  what  new  orders  he  was  about 
to  receive,  ran  down  the  ladder  that  led  to  the 
afterguard,  reached  the  shore  on  a  plank  that  ex- 
tended from  the  stern  of  tlie  vessel  to  the  bank, 
and  in  a  short  time  was  in  the  presence  of  the 
admiral. 

That  gentleman  was  so  busy  that  he  did  not 
notice  Frank,  until  one  of  his  clerks  exclaimed : 

"Admiral!  here's  Captain  Nelson,  sir." 

"Ah,  yes,"  said  the  admiral,  scarcely  looking 
up  from  his  work.  "  Sit  down,  captain ;  I  'm  very 
busy  just  at  present." 

Captai7i!     Frank  knew  that  neither  the  admiral 


THE   PROMOTION.  157 

nor  his  clerks  "were  in  the  habit  of  making  mis- 
takes, but  he  thought  they  were  certainly  mistaken 
this  time.  Perhaps  they  were  so  busy  they  had 
not  taken  time  to  see  who  he  was.  But  he  was 
not  kept  long  in  suspense,  for  the  admiral,  after 
signing  his  name  to  several  documents,  turned  in 
his  chair,  and  picking  up  some  letters  that  lay  on 
his  desk,  handed  them  to  Frank,  saying: 

"  Captain,  there  are  your  orders.  I  only  wanted 
to  see  you  to  say  that  I  wish  them  obeyed  with 
the  least  possible  delay.  Have  the  Boxer  back 
here  as  soon  as  you  can,  for  I  want  to  use  her. 
Get  your  baggage  on  board  and  start  at  once." 

Frank,  so  bewildered  that  he  scarcely  knew 
what  the  admiral  was  saying,  took  the  letters  and 
hurried  back  to  the  Michigan.  The  captain  met 
him  at  the  gangway,  and  extending  his  hand,  said, 
with  a  smile: 

"I'm  sorry  to  have  you  leave  us,  Mr.  Xelson. 
I  suppose  you  have  got  it  ? " 

"I  have  something,  sir,"  replied  Frank,  "but 
I  don't  know  what  it  is." 

As  he  spoke,  he  tore  open  one  of  the  envelopes, 
and  hastily  running  his  eye  over  the  letter  it  con- 
tained, found,  to  his  astonishment,  that  he  was  an 


158         FRANK   ON   THE    LOWER   MISSISSIPPI. 

acting  master.  The  next  one  he  opened  was  an 
order  for  him  to  report  "  to  the  commanding  offi- 
cer of  the  U.  S.  S.  Boxer  for  duty  and  command 
of  that  vessel."  The  other  contained  instructions 
for  him  to  "proceed  to  Cairo  without  delay,  and 
place  his  vessel  under  repairs,  and  as  soon  as  she 
was  put  in  condition  for  service,  to  return  and  re- 
port to  the  admiral." 

"Just  as  I  expected,"  said  the  captain,  who 
seemed  to  be  as  highly  elated  as  Frank  himself. 
"Just  as  I  expected,  sir.  You  deserve  it,  and  I 
congratulate  you." 

Frank  made  some  reply,  in  his  excitement  he 
hardly  knew  what,  and  hurried  off  to  pack  his 
trunk  and  bed-clothes.  This  being  accomplished, 
his  baggage  was  carried  to  the  cutter,  which  lay 
alongside,  and  after  taking  leave  of  the  captain 
and  his  messmates,  he  stepped  into  the  boat  and 
started  for  his  vessel,  which  still  lay  at  the  bank, 
below  the  flagship,  with  the  transport,  which  was 
to  tow  her  to  Cairo.  As  he  stepped  on  board  the 
Boxer,  he  was  met  by  Archie,  and  several  of  his 
old  messmates,  who  greeted  him  cordially.  The 
executive  officer  was  in  command,  and  to  him 
Frank  showed  his  orders,  and  requested  that  his 


THE   PROMOTION.  159 

baggage  might  be  conveyed  into  the  cabin.  He 
then  went  on  deck,  and  after  ascertaining  that  the 
transport  was  ready  to  start,  ordered  the  line  cast 
off,  and  both  vessels  were  soon  on  their  course 
down  the  river. 

After  finding  they  were  fairly  under  way,  Frank, 
accompanied  by  Archie,  went  into  the  cabin,  and 
sat  down  to  collect  his  thoughts,  for,  in  the  ex- 
citement of  his  unexpected  promotion,  he  moved 
like  one  in  a  dream.  The  cabin  steward  had 
already  taken  his  trunk  into  his  state-room,  and 
was  engaged  in  making  his  bed.  Captain  Nelson ! 
How  strangely  it  sounded ;  and  Frank  repeated  it 
several  times,  and  gazed  about  the  cabin  as  if  he 
could  scarcely  believe  that  he  was  awake.  He 
read  his  appointment  and  orders  over  and  over 
again,  both  to  fully  understand  what  was  required 
of  him,  and  to  convince  himself  that  he  was  in 
reality  the  commander  of  a  vessel.  When  he  was 
made  the  executive  officer  of  the  very  boat  he  now 
commanded,  he  had  reached  the  height  of  his  am- 
bition, and  his  present  position  was  a  step  higher 
than  he  had  dared  to  look. 

The  captain  of  a  gun-boat  generally  lives  in  a 
little  world  of  his  own.    He  has  a  cabin  all  to  him- 


160         FRANK    OX    THE    LOWER   MISSISSIPPI. 

self,  messes  alone,  and  rarely  has  intercourse  with 
his  officers,  except  upon  business.  If  he  has  a 
messmate,  it  is  either  a  clerk,  or  the  paymaster  or 
doctor  of  the  vessel.  Frank  was  not  entitled  to  a 
clerk,  but  he  had  a  paymaster,  and,  at  his  request, 
Archie  at  once  commenced  the  removal  of  his 
baggage  into  one  of  the  vacant  state-rooms  in  the 
cabin.  "While  thus  engaged,  the  orderly  an- 
nounced the  executive  officer,  who  entered  to 
inquire  if  Frank  had  any  orders  to  give.  The 
latter  replied  that  he  had  not,  and  for  nearly  an 
hour  he  remained  in  conversation  with  the  execu- 
tive, during  which  he  learned  the  exact  state  of 
affairs  about  decks.  Every  thing  appeared  to  be 
going  on  smoothly,  and  Frank  had  no  desire  to 
show  his  authority  by  issuing  unnecessary  orders. 
One  by  one  the  wardroom  and  steerage  officers 
came  in  to  congratulate  the  young  commander, 
and  when  bed-time  came  they  returned  to  their 
quarters,  saying  among  themselves  that  "  Captain 
Nelson  did  n't  feel  any  bigger  in  his  new  position 
than  he  would  if  he  were  nothing  but  a  Johnny 
master's  mate." 

One  afternoon,  after  they  had  reached  the  Mis- 
sissippi River,  as  Frank  sat  at  his  desk,  writing  a 


THE    PROMOTION.  161 

letter  to  his  mother,  and  Archie  lay  on  the  sofa 
close  bj,  engaged  in  reading,  there  was  a  commo- 
tion on  deck,  and  the  orderly  burst  into  the  cabin, 
exclaiming — 

"  Rebels,  cap'n  !  A  battery  just  ahead,  sir ! " 
And  he  had  scarcely  spoken,  when  there  was  a  roar 
of  cannon,  and  the  shells  burst  over  and  about  the 
vessels. 

"  Call  to  quarters,"  said  Frank,  as  he  sprang  to 
his  feet  and  ran  into  his  room  after  his  side-arms 
and  the  keys  to  the  magazine. 

The  orderly  disappeared,  followed  by  Archie, 
who,  throwing  his  book  into  the  furthest  corner  of 
the  cabin,  ran  on  deck,  without  even  waiting  to  get 
his  hat. 

After  ordering  the  executive,  who  met  hiin  at  the 
door,  to  have  the  lamps  in  the  magazine  lighted, 
and  to  prepare  for  action,  Frank  ran  into  the  pilot- 
house, and  looking  up  the  river,  discovered  a 
smoke  arising  from  a  point  half  a  mile  in  advance 
of  them. 

"Captain,"  shouted  the  commander  of  the  trans- 
port, who  stood  in  his  pilot-house,  "what  do  you 
want  me  tu  doV" 
11 


162         FRANK   ON   THE   LOWER   MISSISSIPPI. 

"  Take  us  up  the  river  as  fast  as  you  can," 
shouted  Frank,  in  reply. 

The  captain  had  evidently  seen  some  stirring 
times  while  up  Ked  River.  He  was  not  accustomed 
to  the  noise  and  confusion  of  battle,  and  his  ac- 
tions indicated  that  he  did  not  like  the  idea  of 
attempting  to  run  by  the  battery.  But  his  orders 
from  the  admiral  were  to  take  the  Boxer  to  Cairo 
as  soon  as  possible,  and  he  dared-  not  disobey 
them. 

"All  ready  below,  sir,"  was  the  word  at  this 
moment  passed  up  through  the  trumpet. 

All  the  guns  on  board  the  Boxer  were  pointed 
at  the  battery,  and  the  crew  impatiently  waited 
for  the  order  to  fire.  Frank  stood  at  his  post, 
watching  the  battery  through  a  spy-glass,  and 
waiting  until  they  should  come  to  close  quarters, 
so  that  he  could  make  every  shot  count.  All  this 
-while  the  shells  had  been  di'opping  into  the  water, 
and  shrieking  through  the  air  about  the  vessels, 
and  one  or  two  had  found  a  lodgement  in  the 
wheel-house  of  the  transport.  They  kept  on  in 
silence  until  they  arrived  almost  opposite  the  bat- 
tery, which  stood  out  in  plain  view,  unprotected 
by  levee   or  other  breastwork,  and  Frank  then 


THE   PROMOTION.  163 

gave  the  order  to  open  upon  them.  The  crash 
that  followed  the  order,  as  every  gun  that  could 
be  brought  to  bear  upon  the  battery  belched  forth 
its  contents,  was  terrific.  Shells  and  canister  rat- 
tled over  the  bank,  cutting  down  the  rebel  gun- 
ners, and  disabling  one  of  their  cannon.  As 
quickly  as  possible,  the  guns  were  reloaded,  and 
almost  before  the  rebels  had  recovered  from  their 
panic,  another  broadside  was  poured  into  them, 
and  when  the  smoke  cleared  away,  the  battery 
was  standing  deserted.  Here  was  an  opportunity 
that,  to  Frank,  had  he  possessed  men  enough  to 
back  him  up,  would  not  have  been  lost;  he  would 
have  landed,  and  captured  the  battery.  But  he 
-was  ignorant  of  the  force  of  the  rebels.  There 
might  be  a  regiment  of  them  hidden  away  in  the 
"woods — enough  to  have  captured  the  vessels  the 
moment  they  touched  the  bank — and  to  have  lost 
the  Boxer  scarcely  a  week  after  he  had  been 
placed  in  command  of  her  would  have  been  a  mis- 
fortune indeed.  He  kept  on  up  the  river,  shelling 
the  woods  as  long  as  he  could  bring  a  gun  to  bear 
upon  them. 

In   a   few   days   they  arrived   at   Cairo,   where 
Frank  reported  to  the  commandant  of  the  station, 


164         FRANK    ON   THE    LOWER   MISSISSIPPI. 

and  his  vessel  was  at  once  placed  in  the  hands 
of  the  workmen  at  the  navy-yard.  The  work  was 
rapidly  pushed  forward,  and  at  the  end  of  a  month 
she  was  declared  ready  for  service,  and  after  she 
had  been  furnished  with  a  full  crew  from  the  re- 
ceiving ship,  and  Archie  had  laid  in  a  stock  of 
paymaster's  stores,  the  Boxer,  in  obedience  to  or- 
ders, started  down  the  river  to  report  to  the  ad- 
miral. 


THE    RIVAL    SPIES. 


165 


CHAPTER    XI. 

E\^   Mihnl    §yuB. 

HEY  found  the  admiral  at  Natchez,  and 
J  when  Frank  had  reported  his  ar- 
rival, he  was  ordered  to  take  his 
station  at  Gaines'  Landing — a  place 
noted  for  guerrillas — which  they  reach- 
ed in  safety.  For  two  or  three  days, 
nothing  worthy  of  note  transpired,  the 
rebels,  if  there  were  any  about,  being  careful  not 
to  show  themselves. 

One  night,  while  Frank  was  walking  the  deck, 
arm-in-arm  with  his  cousin,  the  oflficer  on  watch 
approached,  and  said,  in  a  low  voice : 

"Look  there,  sir!  What  kind  of  a  craft  is 
that?" 

Frank  looked  in  the  direction  indicated,  and  an 
object  about  the  size  of  a  man's  head  could  be 
dimly  seen  in  the  water,  silently  but  rapidly  ap- 


166        FRANK   ON   THE   LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

preaching  the  vessel.  It  came  from  toward  the 
nearest  shore,  and  the  thought  that  it  was  a  tor- 
pedo instantly  flashed  through  his  mind.  Taking 
the  spj-glass  from  the  quarter-master,  he  leveled  it 
at  the  object,  and  could  distinctly  see  that  it  was 
a  human  head,  and  that  it  belonged  to  some  one 
who  was  an  excellent  swimmer,  for  he  was  mak- 
ing rapid  progress  through  the  water. 

"I  don't  see  any  torpedo  there,"  said  he,  at 
length,  handing  the  glass  to  his  cousin,  "for  the 
fellow,  whoever  he  is,  is  using  both  hands."  Then 
raising  his  voice,  he  called  out,  "Who  comes 
there?" 

"A  friend,"  was  the  scarcely  audible  reply. 

"Come  on  board  here." 

^^  That 's  just  what  I  want  to  do,"  answered  the 
man,  who,  with  a  few  more  strokes,  was  near 
enough  to  be  seized  by  the  quarter-master — who 
had  ran  below  with  a  lantern — and  lifted  upon  the 
guards. 

"AYho  are  you,  and  what  are  you  doing  here  at 
this  time  of  night?"  asked  Frank,  as  soon  as  the 
man  had  come  on  deck. 

"My  name  is  William  Striker,"  was  the  answer, 
^^^pd  I  am  an  escaped  Union  scout." 


THE    RR^AL    SPIES.  1G7 

Frank  took  the  lantern  from  the  quarter-master's 
Land  and  held  it  up,  so  that  he  could  obtain  a  good 
view  of  the  man's  face.  He  was  certain  he  had 
seen  it  before,  but  could  not  remember  where. 

"I  have  a  better  memory  than  you,  sir,"  said 
the  man  at  length.  "  I  have  seen  you  before.  I 
met  you  in  the  trenches  at  Vicksburg." 

As  the  man  spoke,  he  produced  a  bundle  of  wet 
papers,  from  which  he  selected  one  that  he  handed 
to  Frank.  It  was  the  appointment  of  major,  and 
addressed  to  William  Striker,  United  States  Scout. 
But  this  was  no  proof  that  the  man  was  in  reality 
what  he  professed  to  be,  for  Frank  remembered 
that  he  had  once  passed  himself  off  as  Lieutenant 
Somers,  of  the  rebel  army,  and  had  shown  his  ap- 
pointment and  orders  to  prove  it.  It  was  true 
that  he  wore  the  dress  of  a  Union  major,  but  that 
might  have  been  obtained  in  the  same  manner  that 
Frank  once  got  his  rebel  uniform.  There  was 
something  suspicious  in  a  man's  presenting  him- 
self on  board  the  vessel  at  that  time  of  night,  and 
in  so  uncommon  a  manner. 

"Well,"  said  Frank,  "if  you  were  in  the  trenches 
at  Vicksburg,  tell  me  something  that  happened 
there." 


168         FRANK    ON    THE    LOWER   MISSISSIPPI. 

The  soldier  then  told  Frank  of  the  experiment 
of  which  the  latter  had  made  use  to  see  "how  far 
off  the  rebels  were,"  during  which  he  lost  his  cap, 
the  rebel  who  captured  it  offering  to  "trade"  for 
it  a  tattered  slouch-hat  with  a  bullet-hole  in  it, 
and  informed  him  that  he  was  the  scout  who  had 
told  him  the  story  of  his  "partner''  Sam,  and  their 
raid  into  the  rebel  camp,  which  resulted  in  the  cap- 
ture of  Colonel  Peckham.  He  also  related  other 
little  incidents  which  Frank  had  not  forgotten,  and 
which  proved  that  he  was  in  reality  the  scout 
whom  he  had  met  in  the  trenches,  and  not  a  rebel 
spy,  as  he  had  at  first  feared.  Being  fully  satis- 
fied on  this  point,  the  major  was  conducted  into 
the  cabin,  and  while  he  was  exchanging  his  wet 
clothes  for  some  that  Frank  and  Archie  had  pro- 
vided for  him,  the  former  ordered  his  steward  to 
prepare  supper  for  their  guest,  for  he  knew,  by 
experience,  that  a  man  who  had  been  a  prisoner 
among  the  rebels  was  hungry.  The  major  sat 
down  to  the  table  with  a  most  ravenous  appetite, 
and  the  good  things  the  steward  had  prepared 
rapidly  disappeared.  When  he  had  finished  his 
meal,  in  answer  to  Frank's  inquiry  how  he  came 
to  be  a  prisoner,  he  gave  the  following  account  of 


THE    RIVAL    SPIES.  169 

his  adventures,  which  he  remarked  were  a  "httle 
ahead  of  any  thing  he  had  ever  gone  through." 

"In  the  first  phice,"  said  he,  "I  must  tell  you 
what  became  of  my  comrade,  Sam,  as  it  was  in 
endeavoring  to  assist  him  that  I  was  captured. 
His  career  as  a  scout,  although  an  exciting  one, 
full  of  stirring  adventures  and  hair-breadth  es- 
capes, was  brought  to  a  close  soon  after  the  cap- 
ture of  Yicksburg. 

"When  the  army  again  took  up  its  line  of 
march,  we  made  several  excursions  into  the  rebel 
lines,  and  one  night  we  stopped  at  a  plantation- 
house  to  shelter  ourselves  from  the  rain,  for  it 
was  storming  violently,  and  also  to  see  if  we  could 
not  pick  up  some  information  that  might  be  of  use 
to  us.  The  only  inmate  of  the  house  was  an  old 
woman,  who,  believing  us  to  be  rebels,  talked  freely 
with  us  on  all  subjects;  and  during  the  conversa- 
tion, which  finally  turned  upon  scouting,  informed 
us  that  there  was  a  scout  in  the  rebel  army  who 
was  far  ahead  of  any  "Yank"  that  ever  lived.  He 
was  described  as  a  daring,  quick-witted  fellow,  and 
many  a  disaster  that  had  befallen  us  was  owing  to 
him.  As  I  listened  to  the  stories  told  of  him,  I 
came  to  the  conclusion  that  there  was  a  good  deal 


170         FRANK   ON   THE   LOWER   MISSISSIPPI. 

of  truth  in  them,  and  that  some  spy  must  indeed 
have  been  in  our  camp,  for  the  woman  was  ac- 
quainted with  several  moves  we  had  made,  and 
which  had  been  defeated,  the  particulars  of  which, 
I  thought,  were  known  only  to  the  general  and  his 
staff.  This  led  me  to  believe  that  the  scout,  who- 
ever he  was,  staid  about  head-quarters,  else  how 
could  he  obtain  so  much  information. 

"The  woman  seemed  to  be  well  acquainted  with 
him  and  his  movements,  and  told  us  of  several  of 
his  exploits,  which,  if  true,  showed  the  spy  to  be 
a  man  admirably  fitted  for  his  position.  I  listened 
attentively  to  all  she  said,  in  hopes  I  should  learn 
something  of  his  personal  appearance,  for  I  had 
made  up  my  mind  that  as  soon  as  I  could  find  out 
his  movements,  he  and  I  would  have  a  meeting. 
But  all  I  could  learn  was  that  his  name  was  Bob 
Cole. 

"^Well,'  said  I,  'do  you  know  that  as  long  as 
I  have  been  in  the  army,  I  have  never  seen  this 
man?'" 

" '  Have  n't  yer ! '  exclaimed  the  woman,  in  sur- 
prise. 'Wal,  come  to  think,  I  don't  know  as  that 
is  so  funny,  arter  all,  'cause  he's  in  the  Yankee 
camp  most  of  the  time,  an',  as  they  think  he  is 


THE   RIVAL    SPIES.  171 

one  of  them,  lie  goes  an'  comes  when  he  pleases. 
He  's  a  smart  one,  I  tell  yer.  Some  of  the  boys 
told  me  that  he  is  a  goin'  to  bring  in  a  prisoner 
this  week,  in  the  shape  of  a  Yankee  scout  an'  spy. 
Bill  Striker  is  his  name,  I  believe.  Do  yer  know 
him?' 

"  I  could  n't  help  starting  when  I  found  that  I 
was  known  to  this  noted  rebel;  but  the  woman 
didn't  notice  it,  and  I  replied: 

*'^0h,  yes!  I've  heard  of  him.' 

"''Cordin'  to  all  accounts,'  continued  the  wo- 
man, '  this  Yankee  an't  much  behind  Bob,  for  he 
has  often  been  in  our  camp,  an'  he  don't  allers 
go  back  empty-handed.  If  he  ketches  a  feller  in 
an  out-of-the-way  place,  he  is  sartin  to  gobble  him 
up.  But  his  time  is  most  up  now,  'kase  Bob  never 
fails  in  any  thing  when  he  onct  gets  his  mind  sot 
on  it,  an'  when  I  heerd  that  he  was  a  goin'  to 
ketch  this  Yank,  I  believed  he  would  do  it. 

"  It  was  very  encouraging  to  sit  there  and  listen 
to  a  person  talk  so  confidently  of  my  speedy  cap- 
ture ;  but,  as  it  happened,  I  had  been  put  on  my 
guard,  and  another  thing,  I  didn't  have  quite  as 
much  faith  in  Bob  Cole  as  his  rebel  friends  had, 
and  was  in  no  way  concerned  about  his  being  able 


172         FRANK    ON   THE   LOWER   MISSISSIPPI. 

to  fulfill  his  promise.  It  set  me  to  thinking,  how- 
ever, and  I  determined  I  would  not  sleep  sound 
until  I  had  found  him,  and  then  there  would  be 
a  prisoner  taken,  sure;  but  it  wouldn't  be  Bill 
Striker. 

"'What  kind  of  a  looking  man  is  he?'  I  asked, 
at  length. 

'"Oh,  he's  a' 

"Just  at  this  moment  we  heard  several  horse- 
men going  by  the  house,  and  Sam  exclaimed: 

"'There  are  some  of  our  boys  now.  Perhaps 
we  are  wanted.' 

"I  knew  well  enough  what  he  meant.  Although 
we  had  frequently  met  rebels  while  scouting  about 
through  their  lines,  we  were  not  at  all  fond  of 
them,  and  did  not  want  to  be  in  their  company  if 
we  could  help  it. 

"Those  who  had  just  gone  by  might  at  any 
moment  return  and  enter  the  house;  and  besides, 
it  occurred  to  me  that  if  I  was  so  well  known  to 
the  rebel  spy,  I  was  not  safe  except  in  our  own 
camp.  I  might,  at  any  time,  run  into  a  trap  he 
had  laid  for  me.  At  any  rate,  we  thought  it  best 
to  get  within  our  lines  as  soon  as  possible;  so, 


THE   RtVAL   SPIES.  173 

TNithout  waiting  to  hear  the  woman's  description 
of  Bob  Cole,  we  bid  her  good  night. 

''We  reached  our  camp  in  safety,  reported  our 
return,  and  the  next  morning  I  walked  up  to  head- 
quarters, where  I  remained  until  dark,  talking  with 
the  general's  hostler,  and  keeping  an  ear  open  for 
news,  but  was  obliged  to  go  away  without  hearing 
any.  The  next  day  I  was  kept  busy  carrying  dis- 
patches, and  when  I  returned  at  night,  I  learned 
that  Sam  had  gone  into  the  rebel  camp,  as  they 
were  making  some  movement,  the  particulars  of 
which  the  general  was  anxious  to  learn.  I  thought 
nothing  of  it  at  the  time,  but  when  night  came  and 
he  did  not  return,  I  began  to  fear  that  he  had  been 
captured  or  killed.  It  then  occurred  to  me  that 
if  I  could  get  back  to  the  house  where  lived  the 
woman  who  had  told  us  of  Bob  Cole,  I  might  learn 
something  that  would  be  to  my  advantage;  so  I 
put  on  my  rebel  uniform,  and  in  a  few  moments 
was  out  of  the  lines.  I  reached  the  house  in 
safety,  and  was  delighted  to  find  there  were  no 
rebels  about.  The  woman  seemed  glad  to  see  me, 
brought  me  a  cup  of  water  to  drink,  and  after  a 
few  minutes'  conversation  exclaimed  : 

" '  Wal,  they  've  gobbled  up  one  of  them  fellers ! ' 


174         FRANK    ON    THE    LOWER   MISSISSIPPI. 

"'Which  one?'  I  asked. 

"'I  don't  know  his  name.  Bob  done  it.  He 
seed  him  leave  the  Yankee  camp,  an'  follered  him, 
an'  while  they  were  ridin'  along  together,  he  tuk 
out  his  pistol  an'  told  the  Yank  to  give  up  his 
we'pons ;  but  the  feller  would  n't  do  it,  an'  Bob  had 
to  shoot  him.  But  he  didn't  kill  him;  he  only 
shot  him  through  the  shoulder.  He  's  sartin  to  be 
hung.' 

"You  can  easily  imagine  my  feelings  as  I  sat 
there  and  listened  to  this.  It  required  a  strong 
eflfort  to  subdue  my  feelings. 

"'How  does  Bob  Cole  disguise  himself?'  I  asked, 
in  as  firm  a  voice  as  I  could  command.  'What 
does  he  do  in  the  Yankee  camp?' 

"'That's  what  nobody,  'sides  Bob  an'  the  gen- 
eral, knows,'  answered  the  woman.  'Didn't  you 
never  see  him?  He's  a  little  man,  has  black  hair 
and  eyes,  wears  no  whiskers,  and  allers  rides  a 
little  gray  horse.     He  's  smart,  I  tell  yer.' 

"After  talkincr  awhile  lono^er  with  the  woman 
without  learning  any  thing  further,  I  mounted  my 
horse  and  returned  to  camp.  While  I  was  eating 
my  supper,  I  called  to  mind  all  the  scouts  with 
whom  I  was  acquainted,  but  not  one  of  them  an- 


THE   RIVAL   SPIES.  175 

swcrcd  to  the  description  of  Bob  Cole.  There  was 
one  man  in  camp,  however,  who  did  answer  the 
description,  and  that  was  the  general's  hostler. 
Could  it  be  possible  that  he  was  the  spy? 

"At  this  moment  an  orderly  entered  to  tell  me 
that  I  was  wanted  at  head-quarters.     I  followed 
him  to  the  general's  tent,  received  my  orders,  and 
began  to  get  ready  for  the  journey.     As  I  came 
out  of  the  tent  I  met  the  hostler,  who  inquired: 
"'Are  you  off  again  to-night,  Bill?' 
"  I  replied  in  the  aflfirmative,  and  he  continued : 
"'Well,  good  luck  to  you.     Don't  let  the  rebs 
get  hold  of  you.' 

"  I  mounted  my  horse  and  rode  out  of  the  camp, 
fully  satisfied  that  if  he  was  the  spy  I  would  soon 
know  it. 

"The  night  was  very  dark,  but  I  had  traveled 
the  road  often  enough  to  be  well  acquainted  with 
it,  and  in  an  hour  after  I  left  our  camp,  I  had 
passed  the  rebel  sentries,  and  was  fairly  within 
their  lines.  As  I  was  riding  quietly  along,  keep- 
ing a  good  look-out  on  all  sides,  and  pausing  now 
and  then  to  listen,  I  suddenly  heard  the  clatter  of 
hol-ses'  hoofs  behind  me,  and  some  one  called  out, 
in  a  low  voice : 


■4. 

176         FRANK    ON   THE   LOWER   MISSISSIPPI. 

"^Bill!     Bill  Striker!' 

"I  instantly  stopped,  and  a  moment  afterward 
up  galloped  the  hostler. 

"'Don't  make  so  much  noise,  Jim,'  said  I, 
hastily.  'But  what  on  earth  brings  you  here? 
Where  are  you  going?' 

'"I'm  after  you,'  he  replied.  'The  general 
told  me  to  overtake  you,  and  say  that  he  had  neg- 
lected to  give  you  some  very  important  orders.' 

"  All  this  while  he  had  been  coming  nearer  and 
nearer  to  me,  and  having  now  got  within  reach,  he 
suddenly  seized  my  bridle,  and  presenting  a  re- 
volver, exclaimed: 

" '  Bill  Striker,  your  scouting  is  up  now !  You  're 
my  prisoner!' 

"If  he  imagined  that  he  had  taken  me  by  sur- 
prise he  was  very  much  mistaken.  In  an  instant 
I  had  knocked  aside  the  revolver,  which  exploded, 
sending  the  ball  harmlessly  past  my  head,  and  in 
a  moment  more  I  had  wrested  the  weapon  from 
him.  Then,  almost  before  he  had  time  to  think 
twice,  I  lifted  him  off  his  horse  and  laid  him 
across  my  saddle,  in  front  of  me,  as  if  he  had  been 
a  bag  of  corn.  He  was  very  strong,  as  wiry  as 
an  eel,  and  struggled  most  desperately ;  but  I  had 


TUE    RIVAL   SPIES.  177 

him  at  disadvantage,  and  wlien  I  thought  of  Sam, 
who  was  now  a  prisoner  through  the  treachery  of 
this  fellow,  I  felt  as  if  I  had  the  strength  of  ten 
men.  By  the  time  I  had  fairly  got  hold  of  him, 
I  was  tearing  down  the  road  toward  our  lines, 
while  his  own  horse  had  gone  on  toward  the  rebel 
camp.  My  only  danger  was  in  being  cut  oflf  by 
the  pickets.  These  passed,  I  would  be  safe,  for  I 
had  no  fears  of  being  overtaken.  There  was  no 
time  to  avoid  them  in  jumping  over  fences  and 
running  through  fields,  for  I  knew  that  the  report 
of  the  revolver  had  been  heard,  and  that,  unless  I 
could  reach  our  lines  in  a  very  few  moments,  Bob 
Cole  Avould  again  be  a  free  man  and  I  would  be 
the  prisoner.  I  used  my  spurs  freely,  and  my 
horse,  which  seemed  to  understand  that  he  was 
called  upon  to  make  use  of  his  best  speed,  carried 
us  over  the  ground  at  a  tremendous  rate.  In  a 
short  time  I  came  within  sight  of  a  fire  burning 
by  the  side  of  the  road.  I  heard  a  loud  command 
to  halt,  followed  by  the  noise  of  a  bulkt  as  it 
whistled  by  my  head,  and  the  pickets  were  passed 
in  safety.  Half  an  hour  afterward  I  dismounted 
in  front  of  the  general's  tent,  and  delivered  up  my 
prisoner.  You  can't  imagine  how  surprised  our 
12 


178         FRANK    OX    THE    LOWER    MISSISSIPPI. 

boys  were  to  learn  that  we  had  had  a  rebel  spy  in 
our  camp  so  long  without  knowing  it.  Bob  Cole 
had  played  his  cards  remarkably  well,  and  if  Sam 
and  I  had  not  stopped  at  that  house  to  get  out  of 
the  rain,  there  's  no  knowing  how  much  longer  he 
would  have  been  at  liberty.  But  he  was  safe  in 
the  guard-house  at  last,  and  I  must  confess  that  I 
breathed  more  freely.  If  he  was  the  only  rebel 
who  knew  me,  there  was  now  no  danger  of  run- 
ning into  a  trap  laid  for  my  capture.  My  first 
hard  work  must  be  to  attempt  Sam's  retease.  I 
knew  it  would  be  worse  than  useless  to  return  to 
the  rebel  camp  that  night,  for  it  had  been  aroused, 
and  my  own  chances  of  escape  would  be  none  of 
the  surest;  so  I  let  two  days  pass  before  setting 
out,  and  then  I  did  not  follow  my  usual  course, 
but  took  a  roundabout  way  to  get  behind  their 
camp,  where  I  would  not  run  so  much  risk  of 
meeting  the  pickets. 

"  I  reached  the  lines  in  safety,  and  as  I  was  rid- 
ing along  by  the  side  of  the  road,  keeping  my 
horse  on  the  grass,  to  make  as  little  noise  as  pos- 
sible, I  heard  horsemen  approaching,  and  presently 
up  galloped  a  party  of  rebels.  I  thought  they 
would  pass  without  discovering  me,  but  was  mis- 


THE   RIVAL   SPIES.  179 

taken,  for  one  of  them  drew  in  his  horse  and  ex- 
claimed— 

"  *  Wal,  ef  here  an't  another,'  and  I  was  speed- 
ily surrounded,  and  commanded  to  '  hand  over  my 
we'pons.' 

"'Look  here,  boys,'  said  I,  'I've  got  a  pass,' 
and  I  made  a  motion  to  produce  it. 

" '  Oh,  we  do  n't  want  to  see  your  pass,'  said  the 
corporal  who  had  charge  of  the  squad;  'we've 
seed  a  dozen  to-night  that  was  n't  no  'count.  You 
must  go  to  the  guard-house,  'cause  you  know  it 's 
the  general's  orders  that  nobody  goes  out  o'  camp-.' 

"  This  showed  me  that  I  was  not  suspected  of  be- 
ing a  Federal,  but  was  arrested  as  one  of  their 
own  men  who  was  endeavoring  to  get  out  of  the 
lines. 

" '  I  know  it 's  mighty  hard,'  continued  the  cor- 
poral, '  not  to  let  a  feller  go  home,  when  p'rhaps 
it  an't  five  miles  off;  but  orders  is  orders,  you 
know.  Howsomever,  you  wont  hev  no  trouble  to 
get  out  o'  the  guard-house,  'cause — by  gum!  ef 
here  an't  some  more,'  and,  as  he  spoke,  he  left 
me,  and  rode  up  to  three  men  who  were  crouching 
in  the  fence-corner  by  the  roadside.  These  were 
speedily  secured,  and  we  went  on  our  way  toward 


180         FRANK    ON   THE   LOWER   MISSISSIPPI. 

the  guard-house.  The  rebel  army,  it  appeared, 
was  encamped  in  a  part  of  the  country  where  a 
number  of  regiments  had  been  raised,  and  the 
men,  anxious  to  see  home  and  friends  once  more, 
were  deserting  by  hundreds — 'taking  French,'  as 
we  call  it.  As  we  rode  along,  I  learned  something, 
from  the  conversation  of  my  captors,  that  made  me 
wish  I  had  never  taken  Bob  Cole  prisoner,  and 
that  was,  that  Sam  had  died  from  the  eflfects  of 
the  wound  he  had  received  while  resisting  the 
rebel.  This  was,  perhaps,  better  than  being  hung, 
but  how  I  wished  I  had  known  it  before  taking  the 
spy  to  camp.  I  had  put  myself  in  danger  without 
being  able  to  be  of  any  assistance  to  Sam,  and  I 
now  set  my  wits  to  work  to  conjure  up  some  plan 
for  escape. 

"Finally,  after  capturing  one  more  rebel  who  was 
about  to  'take  French,'  we  reached  the  guard- 
house, which  was  a  rickety  old  barn.  As  we  en- 
tered the  door,  the  rebels,  with  whom  the  house 
was  filled,  greeted  us  with  loud  yells,  and  slapped 
us  on  our  backs,  as  though  they  looked  upon  our 
capture  a-s  a  most  excellent  joke.  The  majority  of 
our  fellow-prisoners  were  confined  far  attempting  to 
leave  the  camp  to  visit  theii'  friends;  but  putting 


THE    RIVAL    SPIES.  181 

them  in  the  guard-house  was  only  a  farce,  for  I  had 
not  been  in  the  room  fifteen  minutes  before  I  saw- 
three  men  make  their  escape  through  a  window. 
I  determined  to  try  the  same  thing;  so,  after 
waiting  a  few  moments,  to  see  that  they  were  not 
brought  back,  I  walked  up"  to  the  window  and 
looked  out.  A  sentinel  was  standing  at  the  cor- 
ner of  the  building,  but  as  soon  as  he  saw  me  he 
shouldered  his  gun  and  walked  off,  whistling.  It 
was  plain  that  he  had  no  objections  to  my  making 
my  escape  if  I  wished  to  do  so,  and,  as  soon  as 
he  was  out  of  sight,  I  crawled  out  of  the  window, 
dropped  to  the  ground,  and  walked  off  with  an 
appearance  of  unconcern  I  was  very  far  from  feel- 
ing. 

"I  had  lost  my  horse,  but  that  did  not  trouble 
me,  for  the  camp  was  not  far  off,  and  I  had  no 
fears  of  pursuit.  I  had  scarcely  got  safely  out  of 
their  lines,  however,  before  I  became  aware  that  I 
was  followed.  I  turned  and  saw  a  party  of  men, 
who,  keeping  their  horses  on  the  grass  at  the  side 
of  the  road,  had  succeeded  in  getting  within  pistol- 
shot  before  I  heard  them.  As  I  sprang  over  a 
fence  I  heard  my  name  pronounced,  f )llowed  by 
the  report  of  several  revolvers  and  carbines,  that 


182         FRANK    ON   THE    LOWER   MISSISSIPPI. 

sent  the  bullets  about  me  altogether  too  close  for 
comfort. 

"Well,  to  make  a  long  story  short,  I  laid 
about  in  the  woods  for  a  month,  making  a  raid 
now  and  then  on  a  chicken-roost,  to  supply  my 
commissary  department;  but  all  this  while  the  reb- 
els followed  me  like  blood-hounds.  I  had  gone 
miles  out  of  my  way — in  fact,  I  did  not  know 
where  I  was,  until  one  day  I  fell  in  with  a  party 
of  guerrillas.  I  told  them  I  was  a  reb  on  French 
leave,  and  on  my  way  to  visit  my  friends,  who 
lived  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river.  From 
them  I  learned  that  the  IVIississippi  was  sixty 
miles  distant,  and  was  also  informed  that  there 
was  a  gun-boat  at  Gaines's  Landings  and  was  ad- 
vised to  keep  out  of  her  way.  This  was  the  best 
news  I  had  heard  in  a  long  time,  and  I  determined 
to  make  the  best  of  my  way  here.  I  came  oft'  to 
the  vessel  in  the  night,  because  I  did  not  know 
but  there  might  be  rebels  on  the  watch,  and  as  I 
was  entirely  unarmed,  I  did  not  want  to  run  any 
risks.  Since  leaving  our  camp,  I  have  traveled 
nearly  two  hundred  miles  without  a  weapon  of  any 
kind,  not  even  a  pocket-knife ;  and  if  either  of  you 


•   THE   RIVAL    SPIES.  183 

has  ever  been  a  prisoner,  you  can  easily  imagine 
that  I  am  overjoyed  to  find  myself  safe  among 
friends  once  more.  And  now,  captain,"  continued 
the  scout,  "I  have  a  proposition  to  make  you. 
The  leader  of  these  guerrillas  whom  I  met  back  in 
the  country  makes  his  head-quarters  in  a  deserted 
plantation-house  about  forty  miles  from  the  river. 
He  never  has  more  than  two  or  three  men  with 
him,  the  others  being  scattered  over  the  country, 
stealing  horses  from  both  rebels  and  Union  peo- 
ple. Now,  I  would  like  to  help  capture  him  and 
break  up  his  band  of  guerrillas,  for  he  's  a  perfect 
demon,  and  never  takes  any  prisoners.  There  is 
a  house  about  ten  miles  from  here  where  we  can 
get  all  the  horses  we  need,  and  three  or  four 
men  could  do  the  job  nicely.  This  guerrilla's 
brother  was  formerly  the  captain  of  the  band, 
but  he  was  killed  by  a  party  of  rebels,  just 
as  he  was  about  to  hang  a  couple  of  Union 
prisoners  he  had  taken — gun-boat  men,  I  believe. 
His  name  is  Thorne,  and — what 's  the  matter,  cap- 
tain ?  " 

Frank  had  started  upon  hearing  the  name  of 
the  guerrilla  chief  at  whose  hands  he  and  the  mate 


184         FRANK    ON    THE    LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

had  so  nearly  suffered  death,  and  from  which  they 
"were  rescued  by  the  Wild-cats,  and  just  as  he  fin- 
ished relating  the  story  of  the  "  Close  Shave,"  the 
orderly  entered  the  cabin  and  announced  the  dis- 
patch-boat "General  Lyon"  approaching 


A   SCOUTING  PARTY. 


185 


CHAPTER    XII. 


or 

EANK,  of  course,  could  not  agree  to 
the  scout's  proposition  -without 
first  obtaining  permission  of  either  the 
admiral  or  Captain  "Wilson — the  com- 
mander of  the  division  to  which  the 
Boxer  belonged.  He  did  not  know 
where  to  go  to  find  the  former,  and  be- 
sides, the  latter  had  given  him  strict  orders  not  to 
leave  his  station  until  relieved  by  some  other  ves- 
sel, and  to  allow  no  one  to  go  ashore.  The  very 
nature  of  these  orders  put  it  out  of  his  power  to 
obtain  liberty  to  carry  out  the  proposed  expedi- 
tion. He  went  to  bed  pondering  upon  what  the 
major  had  told  him,  and  fell  asleep  without  being 
able  to  conjure  up  any  plan  by  which  the  capture 
of  tlie  rebel  might  be  effected. 

The  next  morning,  while  at  breakfast,  the  or- 


186         FRANK    ON    THE    LOWER    MISSISSIPPI. 

derly  entered  the  cabin  and  reported  a  gun-boat 
approaching.  Frank  at  once  went  on  deck,  and 
when  he  had  made  out  her  signals,  he  found,  to 
his  dehght,  that  it  was  the  Manhattan,  the  flag- 
ship of  the  division  to  which  the  Boxer  belonged. 
After  ordering  the  officer  of  the  deck  to  have  the 
gig  called  away,  Frank  ran  into  the  cabin,  put 
on  his  side-arms,  and,  in  company  with  the  major, 
put  off  to  the  iron-clad. 

Captain  Wilson  received  them  cordially,  listened 
with  a  good  deal  of  interest  to  the  scout's  plan  for 
the  capture  of  the  guerrilla,  and  finally  gave  Frank 
permission  to  ^'do  as  he  pleased  in  the  matter,'' 
adding,  "  You  have  never  yet  failed  in  an  under- 
taking of  this  kind,  and  I  shall  fully  expect  you 
to  succeed  in  the  present  instance.  I  will  be  here 
again  in  about  a  week,  and  you  can  turn  the  pris- 
oner over  to  me."  The  confident  manner  in  which 
the  captain  spoke  of  his  success,  made  Frank  more 
determined  than  ever  to  capture  the  guerrilla,  if 
within  the  bounds  of  possibihty.  After  giving  a 
short  report  of  the  state  of  affairs  on  his  station, 
he  returned  to  the  Boxer,  highly  delighted  with 
the  result  of  the  interview.  Archie  was  no  less 
pleased,  for,  although  he  had  not  said  a  word  about 


A    SCOUTING    PARTY.  187 

accompanying  his  cousin,  he  looked  upon  it  as  a 
settled  thing  that  he  was  to  be  one  of  the  expe- 
dition. Frank,  who  knew  the  danger  of  the  un- 
dertaking, and  was  anxious  to  keep  Archie  out  of 
harm's  way,  would  have  preferred  to  leave  him 
behind;  but,  as  the  latter  had  shown,  in  a  remark- 
able manner,  that  he  was  equal  to  any  emergency, 
the  young  commander  could  not  deny  him  on  the 
ground  that  he  had  never  "  smelt  powder." 

The  major  advised  Frank  to  take  at  least  one 
more  man;  and  this  one  was  soon  forthcoming  in 
the  shape  of  Tom,  the  coxswain  of  the  first  cutter, 
the  same  who  had  been  left  in  charge  of  the  boat 
on  the  night  that  Frank  and  Archie  had  broken 
up  the  head-quarters  of  the  "Louisiana  Wild- 
cats." He  was  at  once  summoned  into  the  cabin, 
and  after  the  object  of  the  proposed  expedition 
had  been  explained  to  him,  Frank  inquired: 
"Now,  Tom,  do  you  want  to  go  with  us?" 
"Douse  my  to'-gallant  top-lights!  yes  sir,"  he 
replied,  eagerly.  "But,  Cap'n  Nelson,  I  wouldn't 
like  to  be  left  behind,  sir,  when  it  comes  to  the 
dangerous  part  of  the  business,  like  I  was  on  the 
night  when  the  paymaster  burned  that  house.  I 
want  to  go  with  you  to  the  end,  sir,  an'  if  I  ever 


188         FRANK    ON    THE    LOWER   MISSISSIPPI. 

show  the  white  feather,  then  may  I  be  keel- 
hauled!" 

Frank  assured  him  that  he  would  be  allowed  to 
accompany  them  wherever  they  went,  and  the  cox- 
swain departed  satisfied. 

When  night  came,  the  gig  was  called  away,  and 
Frank,  accompanied  by  the  major,  Archie,  and  the 
coxswain,  was  set  on  shore.  When  the  boat  had 
returned  to  the  vessel,  which  was  now  in  command 
of  the  executive  officer,  the  major  led  his  compan- 
ions through  the  woods  toward  the  place  where  the 
horses  were  to  be  obtained.  They  traveled  in 
silence,  following  the  motions  of  their  guide,  who 
walked  along  as  if  he  well  understood  what  he  was 
about.  The  expedition  certainly  promised  better 
than  any  in  which  Frank  had  before  engaged.  It 
was  led  by  a  man  accustomed  to  scenes  of  danger, 
and  was  altogether  composed  of  those  whose  cour- 
age and  determination  had,  more  than  once,  been 
thoroughly  tested.  They  were  all  well  armed,  and, 
in  addition  to  a  brace  of  revolvers,  the  coxswain 
carried  a  heavy  saber;  for,  as  he  remarked,  he 
might  be  called  upon  to  "repel  boarders,"  and  he 
wanted  some  weapon  that  he  knew  how  to  use. 

After  three   or  four  houi's'  walk   thi'ough  the 


A   SCOUTING   PARTY.  189 

woods  they  came  to  a  fence,  where  the  major 
paused.  Before  them  was  a  wide  field,  in  which 
stood  a  plantation-house.  Bright  lights  gleamed 
in  the  windows,  and  the  major  turned  to  his  com- 
panions and  said : 

"  There  are  more  people  in  the  house  than  there 
were  last  night." 

They  all  listened  intently,  and  could  hear  an  in- 
distinct murmur  of  voices,  and  now  and  then  the 
tramping  of  horses  in  the  road  that  ran  in  front 
of  the  house. 

"There  are  some  rebel  soldiers  in  there,"  con- 
tinued the  major,  and  we  can  now  get  our  horses 
without  any  difficulty,  already  saddled  and  bridled." 

As  he  spoke,  he  led  the  way  along  the  fence  to- 
ward the  road,  and  they  presently  came  in  sight 
of  half  a  dozen  horses  which  were  tied  in  front  of 
the  house.  No  orders  were  necessary,  for  each 
one  knew  what  was  required  of  him.  In  a  few 
moments  they  had  quietly  secured  their  horses, 
and  were  riding  noiselessly  down  the  road.  As 
soon  as  they  were  out  of  sight  of  the  house,  they 
began  to  make  an  examination  of  their  prizes,  and 
found  that  the  rebels,  who,  no  doubt,  had  little 
dreamed  that  any  one  would  disturb  them  there, 


190         FRANK   ON    THE    LOWER   MISSISSIPPI. 

had  left  their  sabers  attached  to  their  saddles,  and 
their  pistols  in  then*  holsters.  Frank  and  Archie 
also  found  themselves  possessed,  the  former  of  a 
fine  double-barrel  shot-gun,  loaded  with  buck-shot, 
and  the  latter  of  a  heavy  carbine ;  and  the  ammu- 
nition for  each  of  these  weapons  had  been  left  on 
the  saddles.  The  horses  were  splendid  animals, 
evidently  the  fruits  of  a  raid  upon  some  well- 
stocked  barn-yard,  for  they  appeared  fresh  and 
vigorous,  and  had  undoubtedly  been  accustomed 
to  the  best  of  care.  As  soon  as  they  were  out  of 
hearing  of  the  people  in  the  house,  they  put  their 
horses  into  a  gallop,  and  as  the  road  was  excellent, 
they  made  rapid  headway.  For  hour  after  hour 
they  kept  on,  stopping  only  now  and  then  to  water 
their  horses.  Just  before  daylight  the  major, 
who  had  scarcely  spoken  during  the  whole  ride, 
suddenly  came  to  a  halt.  As  his  companions 
gathered  about  him,  he  said,  almost  in  a  whisper: 
"Now,  boys,  we  are  at  our  journey's  end. 
There 's  the  house ! "  and  as  he  spoke,  he  pointed 
to  a  large  building  just  ahead  of  them.  "My  ad- 
vice, captain,"  he  continued,  turning  to  Frank, 
*'  would  be  to  ride  carefully  up  in  front  of  the 
house,  hitch  our  horses — for,  of  course,  we  must 


A   SCOUTING   PARTY.  101 

not  lose  them — and  then  burst  open  the  door  and 
gobble  up  the  guerrilla  before  he  has  time  to  get 
out  of  bed." 

This  plan  was  adopted.  Riding  noiselessly  up 
to  the  gate,  they  dismounted,  and  after  tying  their 
horses,  they  drew  their  sabers  (as  it  was  their  in- 
tention to  rely  entirely  upon  the  sigltt  of  these 
weapons  to  bring  the  guerrilla  to  terms).  Then 
they  entered  the  yard,  and  ascended  the  steps  that 
led  on  to  a  wide  portico.  Here  the  major,  who 
was  in  advance,  paused  a  moment,  to  see  that  his 
companions  were  close  behind  him,  and  then,  plac- 
ing his  shoulder  against  the  door,  with  one  strong 
push,  forced  it  open.  They  all  sprang  into  the 
house,  Frank  and  Archie  being  close  beside  the 
major,  and  found  themselves,  to  their  utter  aston- 
ishment, in  the  presence  of  a  dozen  guerrillas,  who 
started  from  their  blankets  in  alarm.  So  great 
was  their  surprise,  that  both  parties  for  an  instant 
stood  gazing  at  each  other,  as  if  suddenly  deprived 
of  the  power  of  action. 

"Sink  my  tarry  wig,  Cap'n  Nelson,  but  here's 
a  scrape  for  honest  men  to  be  in ! "  exclaimed  the 
coxswain,  who  had  kept  as  close  to  his  ofEcer  as 
possible.     "Here  Z6*  a  scrape!" 


192         FRANK    ON    THE    LOWER    MISSISSIPPI. 

Their  position  was  not  an  enviable  one.  There 
they  were,  forty  miles  from  their  vessel,  almost  in 
the  heart  of  an  enemy's  country,  and  confronted 
by  three  times  their  number  of  armed  rebels,  who, 
no  doubt,  could  be  speedily  reinforced.  It  was 
too  late  to  retreat,  even  had  they  felt  disposed 
to  do  so.  But  the  idea  never  once  entered  their 
heads.  So  intent  were  they  upon  the  capture  of 
the  guerrilla  chief,  that  they  thought  of  nothing 
else,  and  they  were  perfectly  well  aware  that  the 
only  way  to  get  out  of  the  house  was  to  fight  their 
way  through  their  enemies. 

The  period  of  inaction  lasted  only  for  an  in- 
stant; then  a  few  of  the  rebels,  springing  to 
their  feet,  retreated  precipitately  through  the  back 
door;  but  the  others,  recovering  from  their  sur- 
prise, and  comprehending  the  nature  of  the  attack, 
bravely  stood  their  ground,  and  one  tall  fellow 
sprang  forward  and  struck  savagely  at  the  major 
with  his  sword.  But  the  scout  was  on  the  alert, 
receiving  the  blow  upon  his  own  saber,  and  before 
the  rebel  had  time  to  renew  his  attack,  a  shot 
from  a  revolver  stretched  him  lifeless  on  the  floor. 

This  opened  the  fight.  The  example  of  the  rebel 
was  quickly  followed  by  his   comrades,  who,  de- 


A    SCOUTING    PARTY.  193 

pending  wholly  upon  their  sabers,  rushed  upon 
the  officers  with  the  utmost  fury.  But  they  were 
bravely  met.  The  latter  stubbornly  held  their 
ground,  and  parrying  the  blows  directed  at  them, 
used  their  revolvers  with  deadly  effect.  At  this 
moment  a  door  at  the  further  end  of  the  hall  sud- 
denly opened,  and  a  man  sprang  out,  carrying  a 
short,  heavy  sword. 

"Give  it  to  'em,  lads!"  he  shouted,  hurrying 
forward  to  join  in  the  fight.  "Give  it  to  'em. 
No  quarter  to  the  Yankees!" 

This  was  the  guerrilla  chief,  and  the  order  he 
had  just  given  told  Frank  and  his  companions,  in 
plain  language,  that  if  overpowered,  no  mercy 
would  be  shown  them. 

The  rebels,   encouraged  by  the  voice  of  their 

leader,  redoubled   the  fury  of  their   attacks,  and 

the  officers  were  driven  to  the  wall.     The  coxswain, 

on  entering,  had  closed  the   door  to  prevent  the 

escape  of  the  guerrilla,  and  thus  their  retreat  was 

cut   off;  but  they  had  the  advantage  of  position, 

for  the  rebels,  unable  to   get  behind  them,  must 

make  their  attacks   in  front.     Already  had  their 

ranks  been  thinned  by  the  fire  of  the  revolvers, 

but  those  who  had  at  first  retreated  now  began 
13 


194         FRANK    ON    THE    LOWER   MISSISSIPPI. 

to  return  and  take  the  places  of  those  who  had 
been  shot  down.  At  last  Frank's  revolver  was 
empty.  He  had  another  in  his  pocket,  but  could 
not  get  an  opportunity  to  draw  it.  He  must  now 
depend  upon  his  saber.  Grasping  it  with  both 
hands,  he  bravely  met  the  attack  of  the  leader 
of  the  guerrillas,  who  had  succeeded  in  working 
his  way  in  front  of  him.  The  latter's  heavy 
sword  descended  with  terrible  force.  Frank's 
guard  was  broken  down,  and  he  was  sent  reeling 
to  the  floor.  The  rebel  again  raised  his  sword, 
and,  as  Frank  was  entirely  unarmed,  he  gave 
himself  up  for  lost.  One  thought  of  home,  of 
his  mother  and  sister,  flashed  through  his  mind, 
and  then  he  saw  the  bright  blade  swiftly  descend- 
ing. It  was  met,  however,  by  the  coxswain,  who 
seeing  the  danger  of  his  officer,  interposed  his  own 
sword,  and  turned  the  rebel's  weapon  aside.  Frank 
was  on  his  feet  again  in  an  instant,  and  seeing  a 
musket,  with  a  bayonet  attached,  standing  in  the 
corner,  he  seized  it  with  a  shout  of  joy.  If  there 
was  any  thing  he  thoroughly  understood,  it  was 
the  bayonet-exercise.  He  remembered  that  the 
knowledge  of  it  had  once  saved  his  life,  and  he 


A   SCOUTING   PARTY.  195 

had  never  let  an  opportunity  to  perfect  himself  in 
it  pass  unimproved.  He  now  felt  safe ;  and  see- 
ing the  coxswain  gradually  retreating  before  the 
furious  attacks  of  the  guerrilla  chief,  he  sprang 
forward,  and  with  one  blow  sent  the  sword  flying 
from  his  hand  and  bore  him  to  the  floor.  This 
move  was  seconded  by  Archie,  who  sprang  to  his 
cousin's  side  with  a  revolver  in  each  hand,  firing 
right  and  left  among  the  rebels,  who,  dismayed  at 
the  fall  of  their  leader,  began  to  retreat.  But  so 
closely  were  they  followed,  that  escape  was  im- 
possible. The  chief,  after  trying  in  vain  to  regain 
his  feet,  and  seeing  the  bayonet  pointed  straight 
at  his  breast,  shouted  most  lustily  for  quarter. 

*' Surrender!"  shouted  the  major.  "Throw 
down  your  arms  ! " 

The  rebels  having  lost  more  than  half  of  their 
number,  and  knowing  the  deadly  effects  of  the  re- 
volvers which  were  aimed  at  their  heads,  gladly 
complied,  and  the  fight  was  at  an  end. 

Although  Frank  and  his  companions  had  heard 
the  order,  "No  quarter  to  the  Yankees!"  the 
thought  of  taking  vengeance  upon  those  who,  had 
they  been  the  victors,  would  have  shown  no  mercy, 


196         FRANK    ON    THE    LOWER   MISSISSIPPI. 

never  once  entered  their  heads — they  were  more 
humane. 

With  the  surrender  of  the  rebels  the  object  of 
the  expedition  had  been  accomplished — the  guer*- 
rilla  chief  was  their  prisoner ! 


TOM   THE   COXSWAIN. 


197 


CHAPTER    XIII. 


OW  that  the  excitement  was  over, 
and  Frank  began  to  think  more 
cahnly,  he  found  that  he  was  wounded* 
The  blow  which  had  broken  down  his 
guard  had  spent  its  force  on  his  head, 
which  was  bleeding  profusely  from  a 
lonor,  raor^ed  cut.  His  face  and  cloth- 
infT  were  covered  with  blood,  but  the  wound  had 
caused  him  no  inconvenience.  After  Archie  had 
bandaged  it  with  his  handkerchief,  Frank  began  to 
look  about  him.  The  force  of  the  rebels  had  orig- 
inally consisted  of  fifteen  men,  of  whom  eight 
were  lying,  either  dead  or  wounded,  upon  the 
floor.  He  could  scarcely  believe  his  eyes,  and 
wondered  how  he  and  his  companions  had  ever 
secured  a  victory  against  such  heavy  odds.  Had 
the  rebels,  instead  of  relying  upon   their  sabers 


198         ^RANK   ON    THE    LOWER    MISSISSIPPI. 


and  the  superiority  of  their  numbers,  made  use  of 
the  firearms  that  during  the  fight  had  become 
scattered  about  the  hall,  the  result  would  have 
been  far  difi'erent.  The  fight,  although  a  most 
severe  one  while  it  lasted,  was  not  of  more  than 
five  minutes'  duration,  and  during  that  time  eight 
rebels  had  been  disabled,  and  six  captured  bj 
four  determined  men ;  one  only  had  escaped.  As 
Archie  afterward  said,  in  a  letter  to  his  father, 
*'It  was  the  biggest  little  fight"  he  was  ever  en- 
gaged in. 

"Now,  boys,"  said  the  major,  as  soon  as  he  had 
satisfied  himself  that  the  remaining  rebels  were 
disarmed,  "  we  've  no  time  to  lose.  Paymaster, 
you  and  the  coxswain  station  yourselves  in  those 
doors,  and  keep  a  good  look-out,  to  prevent  sur- 
prise.    Captain,  we  will  secure  these  prisoners." 

One  of  the  blankets  that  lay  on  the  floor  was 
speedily  cut  into  strips,  and  with  these  the  rebels, 
one  after  the  other,  were  bound  hand  and  foot. 
While  this  was  going  on,  the  leader  of  the  guer- 
rillas stood  leaning  against  the  wall,  no  doubt  look- 
ing into  the  future,  and  pondering  upon  the  pun- 
ishment which,  according  to  his  own  barbarous 
mode  of  warfare,  he  was  certain  would  be  meted 


TOM   THE   COXSWAIN.  199 

out  to  him.  He  well  knew  what  course  he  would 
have  pursued,  had  he  been  the  victor  instead  of 
the  prisoner,  and,  judging  his  captors  by  himself, 
he  fully  expected  a  speedy  and  terrible  vengeance 
to  be  taken  upon  him.  As  these  thoughts  passed 
through  his  mind,  he  determined  to  make  one  bold 
effort  at  escape.  Hastily  glancing  toward  the 
door,  where  Archie  stood  looking  up  and  down 
the  road,  he  suddenly  sprang  forward,  and  giving 
him  a  violent  push,  that  sent  him  headlong  upon 
the  portico,  he  jumped  down  the  steps,  and  started 
for  the  gate  at  the  top  of  his  speed;  but  before 
he  had  gone  half  the  distance,  he  was  overtaken 
by  the  coxswain  and  thrown  to  the  ground.  The 
sailor,  instead  of  standing  in  the  door,  in  his 
eagerness,  as  he  expressed  it,  to  "ketch  the  first 
glimpse  of  any  guerrilla  craft  that  might  be  sailin' 
about,"  had  come  round  to  the  front  of  the  house 
just  as  the  rebel  had  made  his  attempt  to  escape. 
Archie  sprang  to  his  feet  and  ran  to  the  assist- 
ance of  the  coxswain,  and  by  the  time  Frank  and 
the  major  arrived,  the  rebel,  who  struggled  most 
desperately,  had  been  overpowered,  and  his  hands 
bound  behind  his  back.  In  a  few  moments  more 
the  prisoners  were  all  secured,  and,  after  a  horse 


200         FRANK    ON    THE    LOWER   MISSISSIPPI. 

had  been  caught  and  saddled,  the  guerrilla  was 
placed  upon  it,  his  hands  still  bound,  and  the  cox- 
swain was  ordered  to  take  charge  of  him.  The 
dead  and  wounded,  together  with  the  other  pris- 
oners, were  left  in  the  house,  the  doors  of  which 
were  closed  and  fastened.  They  would,  no  doubt, 
soon  be  relieved  by  their  friends,  for  the  rebel 
who  had  escaped  would,  of  course,  procure  assist- 
ance as  soon  as  possible. 

As  soon  as  the  major  had  satisfied  himself  that 
every  thing  was  ready  for  the  start,  he  mounted 
his  horse  and  led  the  way  down  the  road.  It  was 
now  broad  daylight,  and  their  first  thought  was  to 
place  a  safe  distance  between  themselves  and  the 
scene  of  the  fight,  and  then  halt  in  the  woods 
until  night,  when  they  would  return  to  the  vessel. 
But  if  this  plan  was  adopted,  it  would  give  the 
guerrillas,  who,  of  course,  would  hasten  to  the 
rescue  of  their  leader,  time  to  get  between  them 
and  the  river,  in  which  case  their  capture  was  cer- 
tain. Frank,  who  believed  that  every  instant  of 
time  was  valuable,  and  who  delighted  in  dashing 
exploits,  was  in  favor  of  returning  at  once  to  the 
vessel.  Their  horses  were  comparatively  fresh, 
and,  if  they  rode  rapidly,  they  could  make  good 


TOM   THE   COXSWAIN.  201 

their  retreat  before  a  sufficient  force  could  be  col- 
lected to  pursue  them.  The  major  and  Frank 
talked  over  these  different  plans  as  they  rode 
along  side  by  side,  and  the  latter  course  was 
finally  adopted.  It  was  at  once  communicated  to 
the  others,  and  they  pushed  forward  with  all  pos- 
sible speed.  Frank  and  the  major  rode  in  front, 
followed  by  the  coxswain,  who  held  fast  to  the 
horse  which  their  prisoner  rode,  and  Archie 
brought  up  the  rear.  In  this  manner  they  dashed 
along,  passing  several  plantation-houses,  whose  in- 
mates ran  to  the  doors  and  gazed  at  them  in  as- 
tonishment. Half  a  dozen  miles  were  passed  over 
in  this  way  without  stopping,  except  to  water 
their  horses,  and  without  seeing  a  single  armed 
rebel,  and  Frank  began  to  hope  that  the  danger- 
ous part  of  the  undertaking  was  passed.  If  at- 
tacked by  a  superior  force,  the  chances  were  that 
they  would  not  only  lose  their  prisoner,  whose 
capture  had  been  effected  in  so  gallant  a  manner, 
but  also  their  own  liberty,  and  the  thought  of  the 
treatment  they  would  receive^  judging  by  the  or- 
der the  guerrilla  chief  had  given  his  men  at  the 
commencement  of  the  fight,  was  enough  to  nerve 
them  to  make  the  greatest  exertions  to  effect  their 


202        FRANK   ON  THE  LOWER   MISSISSIPPI. 

escape.  They  had  reloaded  their  pistols,  the  ef- 
fective use  of  which  had  gained  them  a  victory 
over  almost  four  times  their  number,  and  Frank 
and  Archie  carried  the  shot-gun  and  carbine  which 
they  had  found  attached  to  the  saddles  of  their 
horses,  ready  for  instant  use. 

The  rapid  pace  at  which  they  were  traveling 
had,  at  the  end  of  an  hour,  put  half  a  dozen  miles 
more  between  them  and  the  house  where  the  fight 
had  taken  place,  and  they  began  to  hope  that,  if 
they  were  followed  at  all,  they  were  leaving  the 
enemy  behind.  At  length  they  came  to  a  place 
where  the  road  ran  through  a  deep  ravine,  the 
sides  of  which  were  thickly  covered  with  trees 
and  bushes.  They  dashed  along,  their  horses 
hoofs  ringing  loud  and  clear  on  the  hard  road, 
but  as  they  came  suddenly  around  a  bend,  almost 
before  they  were  aware  of  it,  they  had  run  into 
the  very  midst  of  a  small  band  of  rebels,  who 
were  traveling  as  rapidly  as  themselves.  They 
were  not  entirely  unprepared  for  this  encounter. 
Although  they  had  hoped  that  they  might  be  able 
to  avoid  it,  they  had  held  themselves  in  readiness 
for  it,  while  the  rebels,  being  taken  by  surprise, 
scattered  in  every  direction,  as  if  fully  expecting 


TOM   THE   COXSWAIN.  203 


to  see  a  ^shole   army  of  Federals  close   at  their 
heels.     As  they  dashed  by,  Frank  fired  both  bar- 
rels of  his  gun,  which  emptied  more  than  one  sad- 
dle, and  the   others  had  just  time  to  follow  with 
a  volley  from  their  revolvers,  when  another  bend 
in  the  road  hid  them  from  sight.     It  was  quickly 
done.     Before  the  rebels  had  time  to  think  twice, 
the  danger  was  over.     The  enemy  had  met  tbem, 
sent  three  of  their  number  to  the  ground,  and  dis- 
appeared as  rapidly  as  they  had  come.     But  the 
rebels  did  not  remain  long  inactive.    They  quickly 
satisfied  themselves  that  those  who  had  just  passed 
were  not  the  advance-guard  of  an  army,  as  they 
had  at   first   supposed,  and  presently  the  officers 
heard  the  clatter  of  hoofs  behind  them,  accompa- 
nied with  loud  yells,  and  knew  that  the  guerrillas 
had   commenced   the   pursuit.     Although,   as   we 
have  said,  the  rebels  had  but  a  small  force,  they 
still  greatly  outnumbered  Frank's  party,  and  noth- 
ing but   the   most  rapid  flight   could  save  them. 
Frank's  only  fear  was  that  their  pursuers  would 
come  in   sight  of  them,  and  begin  to  pick  them 
off  at  long  raAge  with  their  carbines,  a  proceeding 
which  nothing  but  the  numerous  windings  in  the 
road  prevented. 


204         FRANK   ON    THE    LOWER   MISSISSIPPI. 

"If  we  do  not  get  into  a  scrimmage^  boys,"  said 
the  major,  speaking  as  calmly  as  though  he  was  at 
that  very  moment  safe  in  the  cabin  of  the  Boxer, 
"  we  must  stick  together,  if  possible ;  but  if  they 
come  on  us  in  a  heavy  force,  we  must  separate 
and  every  man  take  care  of  himself." 

"Oh,  you  needn't  look  so  mighty  pleased, 
Johnny ! "  exclaimed  the  coxswain,  addressing 
himself  to  his  prisoner,  who  now  looking  upon  his 
rescue  as  beyond  a  doubt,  could  not  repress  a 
smile  of  triumph.  "  Shiver  my  tim'ers !  you're  not 
loose  yet.  You're  just  as  safe  here  as  though  you 
were  in  the  brig*  and  in  double  irons.  Look  as 
mad  as  you  please,  Johnny,"  he  continued,  as  the 
guerrilla  scowled  savagely  upon  him,  "  a  man  who 
has  smelt  powder  in  a'most  every  battle  fought  on 
the  Mississippi  River  an't  often  skeered  by  looks." 

The  major  had,  several  times  during  the  retreat, 
cautioned  the  coxswain  to  keep  a  fast  hold  of  his 
prisoner,  and  not  to  allow  him  to  escape  under 
any  circumstances.  But  Frank,  who  knew  his 
man,  had   never   thought  the   caution   necessary. 

*  The  brig  is  a  small  dark  apartment  in  the  hold  of  a 
vessel,  in  which  culprits  are  confined. 


TOM   THE   COXSWAIN.  205 

He  had  often  seen  the  sailor  in  action  on  board 
ship,  and  the  galhint  manner  in  which  he  had 
saved  his  officer's  life  during  the  fight  at  the  house, 
Lad  fully  satisfied  the  young  commander  that  the 
coxswain  was  not  the  man  to  shrink  from  his  duty 
because  it  was  dangerous.  His  reply  to  the  major 
had  been: 

"If  this  Johnny  rebel  an't  safe  in  the  brig  to- 
night, sir,  then  Captain  Xelson  will  have  to  make 
a  new  cox'son  for  the  first  cutter,  an'  another  cap'n 
for  that  number  two  gun.  I'll  either  take  him 
safe  through,  or  I'll  never  hear  the  bo'son  pipe  to 
dinner  ag'in." 

All  this  while  they  had  been  tearing  along  the 
road  as  fast  as  their  horses  could  carry  them,  but 
rapidly  as  they  went,  the  sounds  of  pursuit  grew 
louder,  and  the  yells  fiercer  and  more  distinct, 
showing  that  the  guerrillas  were  gaining  on  them. 
Suddenly  they  emerged  from  the  woods,  and  found 
before  them  a  long,  straight  road,  with  broad  fields 
on  each  side.  Before  they  could  pass  this,  the 
rebels  would  certainly  come  in  sight,  and,  if  they 
did  not  overtake  them,  they  would  at  least  open 
fire  on  them  with  their  carbines. 

Frank  gradually  drew  in  his  horse  and  fell  back 


206         FRANK   ON   THE    LOWER   MISSISSIPPI. 

beside  his  cousin.  Archie  was  deadly  pale,  but  he 
sat  firmly  on  his  horse  and  handled  his  carbine 
with  a  steady  hand. 

"Archie,"  said  he,  "you  and  I  must  cover  the 
retreat  of  the  others.  Don't  waste  your  ammu- 
nition now." 

They  had  accomplished  perhaps  a  quarter  of 
the  distance  across  the  road  when  the  foremost  of 
their  pursuers  came  in  sight.  In  an  instant  Ar- 
chie turned  in  his  saddle,  and  leaving  his  horse  to 
pick  out  his  own  road,  he  raised  his  gun  to  his 
shoulder  and  fired.  A  moment  afterward  a  rider- 
less horse  was  rearing  and  plunging  about  among 
the  rebels,  throwing  them  into  confusion.  This 
was  the  time  for  Frank,  and  he  discharged  both 
barrels  of  his  gun  in  quick  succession.  The  buck- 
shot must  have  done  terrible  execution,  for  when 
the  smoke  cleared  away,  they  saw  the  rebels  re- 
treating to  the  cover  of  the  bushes.  One,  more 
daring  than  the  rest,  lingered  a  moment,  to  fire  his 
carbine,  and  the  fugitives  heard  the  bullet  sing 
through  the  air  above  their  heads. 

Although  they  were  not  more  than  five  minutes 
crossmg  the  road  and  entering  the  woods  on  the 
opposite  side,  it  seemed  an  age  to  them,  and  they 


TOM    THE    COXSWAIN. 


207 


had  scarcely  reached  the  cover  of  the  trees,  when 
the  rebels  again  coming  in  sight,  fired  a  scattering 
volley  after  them,  "which  rattled  through  the  trees 
and  sent  a  shower  of  leaves  and  twigs  about  them. 
The  guerrillas  then  continued  the  pursuit  as 
fiercely  as  ever,  every  time  they  came  in  sight 
firing  their  carbines,  which  Archie  answered  with 
effec°;  but  they  wisely  kept  out  of  range  of  the 
buck-shot  in  Frank's  double-barrel. 

Hour  after  hour  the  chase  continued,  the  guer- 
rillas every  time  they  appeared  having  their  ranks 
thinned   by  Archie's   unerring   ritie,  until  finally 
the  fugitives  heard  a  sound  that  told  them  in  plain 
language  that  their  danger  was  yet  by  no  means 
passed.     A   whole   chorus   of  hoarse   yells  arose 
from  the  depths  of  the  woods,  showing  that  their 
pursuers  had  received  heavy  reinforcements,  and 
were  urging  forward  their  horses  to  overtake  them. 
But  the  river  was  not  more  than  two  miles  distant, 
and  as  the  rebels  were  fully  a  quarter  of  a  mile  be- 
hind, they  were  confident  they  would  yet  escape,  if 
their  horses  could  hold  out  fifteen  minutes  longer. 
For  some  time,  past  this  had  been  their  only  fear. 
The  rapid  pace  was  telling  on  the  animals  severely, 
and  Frank's  horse  especially  tegan  to  show  signs 


208         FRANK    ON    THE    LOWER   MISSISSIPPI. 

of  distress,  the  young  commander  having  several 
times  been  obliged  to  use  the  point  of  his  saber 
to  compel  him  to  keep  pace  with  the  others.  The 
rebels  gained  rapidly,  and  presently,  just  as  the 
fugitives  emerged  from  the  woods,  in  full  view  of 
the  river,  they  could  hear  the  tramping  of  their 
horses  behind  them.  Before  them  was  a  clear 
space  of  fully  a  mile  in  extent,  that  must  be 
crossed  before  they  reached  the  river,  and  their 
pursuers  might  overtake  and  capture  them  within 
sight  of  their  vessel.  Presently  several  men  were 
seen  running  about  on  the  deck  of  the  Boxer,  and 
then  a  puff  of  smoke  arose  from  one  of  the  ports, 
and  a  shell  went  shrieking  over  their  heads  and 
burst  in  the  woods. 

The  crew  of  the  vessel,  in  obedience  to  Frank's 
orders,  had  kept  a  good  look-out  for  them,  and 
hearing  the  yells  of  the  pursuing  rebels,  had  at 
once  opened  fire.  When  the  smoke  cleared  away, 
Frank  saw  the  crew  of  the  gig  hurrying  to  their 
places.  The  boat  was  lowered  into  the  water, 
and  pulled  rapidly  toward  the  shore.  If  they 
could  but  reach  the  bank  of  the  river  they  would 
be  safe.  At  this  moment  the  rebels  appeared  in 
sight,  and  a  volley^  from  their  carbines  sent  the 


TOM   THE   COXSWAIN.  209 

bullets  about  the  fugitives  like  hail-stones.  Frank 
turned  in  his  saddle  and  fired  one  barrel  of  his 
gun  among  them,  and  was  about  to  give  them  the 
contents  of  the  other,  when  his  horse  stumbled  and 
fell,  throwing  him  at  full  length  on  the  ground. 
Frank  had  been  expecting  this,  and  for  the  last 
half  hour  had  ridden  with  his  feet  out  of  the  stir- 
rups, so  that  in  case  the  accident  did  happen,  he 
would  not  be  entangled  in  the  saddle.  As  it  was, 
he  was  thrown  some  distance  in  advance  of  the 
horse,  which,  too  exhausted  to  rise,  lay  panting 
on  the  ground.  Frank,  however,  instantly  re- 
covered his  feet,  and  was  about  to  start  after  his 
companions,  when  he  saw  the  coxswain,  w^ith  a  knife 
in  his  hand,  working  desperately  to  free  himself 
from  the  saddle  of  his  own  fallen  horse.  Frank 
at  once  sprang  to  his  assistance,  and  catching  the 
knife  from  his  hand,  severed  the  strap  that  con- 
fined him,  and  set  him  at  liberty.  The  coxswain, 
as  soon  as  he  had  regained  his  feet,  ran  up  to  the 
horse  which  the  prisoner  rode,  and  which  had  stop- 
ped the  moment  the  sailor  fell,  and  pulling  the 
guerrilla  from  the  saddle,  lifted  him  in  his  arms 
as  though  he  had  been  an  infant,  and  ran  toward 
the  boat.  The  rebels  by  this  time  were  within 
14 


210         FRANK    ON   THE   LOWER   MISSISSIPPI. 

easy  rifle-range,  and  in  spite  of  the  shells  that 
burst  about  them,  seemed  determined  to  effect  the 
release  of  their  leader,  until  one  more  accurately 
aimed  than  the  others,  exploded  in  their  very 
midst,  cutting  down  horses  and  riders  with  terrible 
slaughter;  another  and  another  followed,  and  when 
Frank  and  his  companions  stepped  into  the  gig, 
the  rebels  were  in  full  retreat.  When  they  ar- 
rived on  board  the  vessel,  the  coxswain  delivered 
his  prisoner  to  the  master-at-arms,  who  ironed  him, 
and  lodged  him  safely  in  the  brig. 

Their  long  ride  had  taxed  their  endurance  to 
the  utmost;  but,  by  the  next  day,  they  had  fully 
recovered  from  their  fatigue,  and  shortly  after  din- 
ner Frank  ordered  the  officer  of  the  deck  to  have 
-all  hands  mustered.  The  crew  speedily  assembled 
on  the  quarter-deck,  and  among  them  stood  the 
coxswain,  who,  at  a  motion  from  Frank,  stepped 
out  from  among  his  companions,  holding  his  cap 
in  his  hand,  and  looking  altogether  like  a  man  who 
expected  "a  good  blowing  up"  for  some  grievous 
offense.  But  he  soon  found  that  he  was  not  to  be 
reprimanded,  for,  to  his  utter  astonishment,  Frank 
proceeded  to  give  the  officers  and  crew  a  full  ac- 
count of  the  fight  at  the  house,  speaking  in  the 


TOM    THE    COXSWAIN.  211 

highest  terms  of  the  old  sailor's  bravery.  He  then 
addressed  the  coxswain,  saying: 

"Now,  Tom,  what  can  I  do  for  you?  What  do 
you  want?  Would  you  like  a  leave  of  absence,  to 
go  home  and  visit  your  friends?" 

"Avast  heavin'  there,  Cap'n  Nelson,  if  you 
please!  "  answered  the  coxswain,  hastily.  "  I  was 
brought  up  on  board  a  man-o'-war,  sir,"  he  con- 
tinued, whirling  his  cap  in  his  hand,  "an'  have 
follered  the  sea  for  goin'  nigh  on  to  thirty-five 
year,  but  this  is  the  first  time  I  ever  had  my  cap'n 
say,  *  Thank  ye,  Tom,'  to  mc  for  doin'  my  duty. 
I  an't  the  only  chap,  sir,  that  wouldn't  see  harm 
come  to  you.  There's  many  a  man  in  this  crew 
that  would  have  done  the  same  thing,  at  the  risk 
of  his  own  life.  As  for  home  an'  friends,  sir,  I 
have  none.  But,  cap'n,  there's  one  favor  I  have 
thought  of  askin'  you  for.  There's  no  gunner's- 
mate  on  board  this  vessel,  an'  I  think  I  can  take 
charge  of  the  magazine — don't  you,  sir?" 

This  was  a  small  reward  for  a  man  to  ask  of 
the  captain,  who  would  gladly  have  granted  him 
any  favor  in  his  power;  but  promotion  on  board 
ship,  among  the  men,  is  given  only  to  the  most 
deserving,  and  the  old  sailor   made  this  request 


212         FRANK    ON    THE    LOWER    MISSISSIPPI. 

with  a  timidity  he  had  never  shown  before  an  en- 
emy; and  even  after  he  had  made  it,  he  regarded 
his  officer  as  though  he  fully  expected  a  refusal. 
But  Frank,  who  could  scarcely  refrain  from  smil- 
ing at  the  man's  earnest  manner,  turned  to  Archie 
and  said: 

"  Paymaster,  please  rate  Thomas  WilHs  on  your 
books  as  gunner's-mate  from  the  time  the  other 
mate  was  discharged." 

This  was  something  more  than  the  coxswain  had 
expected.  The  former  gunner's-mate  had  been 
discharged  from  the  service  nearly  two  months 
before,  and  this  gave  the  old  sailor  a  considerable 
amount  of  back  pay.  Frank  had  delayed  the  ap- 
pointment of  a  gunner's-mate,  not  because  he  did 
not  need  one,  but  because  there  were  many  good 
men  among  his  crew,  and  he  wished  to  give  the 
appointment  to  the  most  deserving,  and  thus  make 
promotion  something  worth  working  for.  Frank 
then  dismissed  the  men,  who  returned  to  the  lower 
deck,  fully  satisfied  in  their  own  minds  that  "  Cap'n 
Nelson  was  the  best  man  any  crew  ever  sailed 
under." 


A   REBEL    THICK.  213 


CHAPTER    XIV. 

HE  next  day  Frank  and  the  major 
I  made  out  their  reports  of  the  ex- 
f^^^  pedition.  The  former's,  as  usual, 
was  short  and  to  the  point,  conveying, 
in  a  few  lines,  the  information  that  their 
object  had  been  accomplished.  He  de- 
scribed the  fight  in  the  house  as  a  "  short 
skirmish,"  and  made  it  appear  that  their  success 
was  owing  to  the  gallant  behavior  of  the  major, 
Archie,  and  the  coxswain.  In  fact,  one,  to  have 
read  the  report,  would  have  supposed  that  Frank 
had  been  merely  a  looker-on,  instead  of  one  of 
the  principal  actors.  But  the  major  went  more 
into  details,  and  the  part  Frank  had  taken  in  the 
fight  was  described  in  glowing  language,  and  his 
bravery  highly  complimented.  While  thus  en- 
gaged,  the    orderly    entered    the    cabin    and    re- 


214         FRANK   ON   THE   LOWER   MISSISSIPPI. 

ported  a  small  party  of  rebels  approaching  T\'ith 
a  flag  of  truce.  Frank  went  on  deck,  and  saw 
several  men  galloping  toward  the  vessel,  waving  a 
white  flag,  to  attract  their  attention.  When  they 
reached  the  top  of  the  bank,  they  dismounted 
from  their  horses,  and  appeared  to  be  waiting  for 
some  one  to  come  ashore. 

For  some  moments,  Frank  was  undecided  how 
to  act.  He  remembered  that  he  had  once  been 
sent  on  shore  with  a  flag  of  truce  which  had  not 
been  respected,  he  having  been  detained  a  pris- 
oner, and  he  did  not  like  the  idea  of  receiving  a 
white  flag  from  men  whom  he  knew  would  not  re- 
spect it  themselves;  besides,  he  had  received  no 
orders  in  regard  to  communicating  with  the  rebels, 
and  he  did  not  know  whether  he  had  a  right  to  do 
so  or  not. 

"Well,  major,  what  do  you  think  of  this,  sir?" 
he  asked,  turning  toward  the  scout,  who  stood 
close  at  his  side. 

"It's  a  trick  of  some  kind,  captain,"  replied 
the  latter.     "Depend  upon  it,  it's  a  trick." 

"If  that  is  so,"  said  Frank,  "I  will  try  and 
find  out  what  it  is."  Then,  raising  his  voice,  he 
called  out,  "What  do  you  want  out  there?" 


A    REBEL    TRICK.  215 

"  I  want  to  come  on  board,"  shouted  one  of  the 
rebels,  in  reply.     *'I  want  to  see  the  captain." 

*'Well,  speak  out;  you  can't  come  on  board. 
What  do  you  want?" 

The  rebels  consulted  together  for  a  few  mo- 
ments, and  then  one  of  them  replied: 

"  We  have  a  Yankee  prisoner,  and  want  to  ex- 
change him  for  Captain  Thorne.  If  you  will  let 
one  of  us  come  on  board,  perhaps  we  can  make 
some  arrangements  with  you." 

"  You  can't  come  on  board,"  shouted  Frank ; 
"  that 's  settled.     But  where  's  your  prisoner  ?  " 

*'  Out  in  the  woods,  under  guard." 

"They've  got  no  prisoner,  captain,"  said  the 
major.  "All  they  w^ant  is  to  see  the  inside  of 
your  vessel,  and  find  out  how^  many  men  and  guns 
you  have." 

"Well,  they'll  have  to  go  away  without  accom- 
plishing their  object,"  said  Frank.  "I  can't  make 
any  arrangements  for  an  exchange,"  he  shouted, 
"until  I  see  your  prisoner." 

The  rebels  lingered  a  moment,  as  if  in  consulta- 
tion, and  then  mounted  their  horses  and  rode 
away.  Every  one  who  had  heard  the  conversation 
laughed  at  the  idea  of  attempting  to  deceive  Cap- 


216         FRANK    ON    THE    LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

tain  Nelson  with  so  shallow  a  trick,  and  the  cir- 
cumstance was  soon  forgotten  by  all  except  Frank, 
who  knew  that  the  guerrillas  would  not  abandon 
their  project  simply  because  their  first  attempt 
had  failed.  Although  he  made  no  remark,  he  re- 
solved to  be  doubly  vigilant,  and  to  be  ready  for 
any  emergency. 

Two  days  afterward  the  dispatch-boat  came 
alongside,  on  her  way  up  the  river,  and  the  major 
took  passage  on  her  for  Cairo. 

"I'm  sorry  to  be  obliged  to  leave  you,  captain," 
said  he,  as  he  stood  ready  to  start,  '^for,  if  I  am 
not  very  much  mistaken,  you  '11  have  lively  times 
here  before  long.  The  rebels  are  up  to  something, 
depend  upon  it.  Do  n't  let  them  catch  you  off 
your  guard.     Good  luck  to  you  !  " 

It  was  lonesome  in  the  cabin  after  the  major 
left,  for  he  was  a  good  companion,  and  both  Frank 
and  Archie  had  become  very  much  attached  to 
him. 

The  dispatch-boat  had  scarcely  left  the  Boxer, 
when  the  officer  of  the  deck  reported  a  canoe  ap- 
proaching. It  came  from  up  the  river,  and,  by  the 
aid  of  the  sp3^-glass,  they  discovered  that  it  con- 
tained two  men,  and  was  loaded  with  vegetables. 


A   REBEL   TRICK.  217 

It  was  customary  for  gun-boats  to  purchase  such 
provisions  as  they  needed  from  the  people  who 
lived  along  the  banks,  and  in  some  places  market- 
boats  were  received  regularly  every  day.  The 
men  were  paid,  either  in  money,  or,  as  they  gener- 
ally preferred,  in  coffee,  flour,  or  sugar,  from  the 
paymaster's  store-rooms  ;  but  this  was  the  first  time 
the  Boxer  had  ever  been  visited,  and  this  circum- 
stance, taken  in  connection  with  the  flag  of  truce, 
made  Frank  suspicious. 

"Shall  we  allow  them  to  come  alongside,  sir?" 
asked  the  oflBcer  of  the  deck. 

"Yes,"  replied  Frank,  who  had  already  de- 
termined upon  his  plans,  "  allow  them  to  come  on 
board,  if  they  wish  to  do  so;"  and  here  he  gave 
the  oflBcer  a  few  rapid  orders,  which  the  latter  hur- 
ried below  to  execute.  The  Boxer  had  a  full  crew 
of  sixty-five  men,  who  were  in  an  admirable  state 
of  discipline;  but  Frank  had  sent  the  oflBcer  below 
to  order  the  most  of  the  men  into  the  hold,  out 
of  sight,  and  to  remove  the  small  arms  about  the 
deck.  The  major's  warning  was  still  ringing  in  his 
ears,  and  the  young  commander  could  not  rid  him- 
self of  the  impression  that  the  market  men  who 
were    now   approaching   were   in  some   way   con- 


218         FRANK   ON   THE    LOWER   MISSISSIPPI. 

nected  with  guerrillas.  If  it  was  a  trick,  he  re- 
solved to  help  it  along.  As  the  boat  approached, 
it  was  hailed  by  the  sentinel  on  the  fore-castle,  who 
asked  the  men  their  business,  and  was  informed 
that  they  had  "garden  truck"  which  they  wanted 
to  "swap  for  sugar,  flour,  an'  sich  like." 

The  men  were  then  permitted  to  come  along- 
side, and  one  of  them  was  at  once  conducted  into 
the  cabin,  where  a  bargain  was  soon  concluded, 
Frank  agreeing  to  take  the  whole  boatload  of  veg- 
etables, and  to  give  the  man  two  pounds  of  flour, 
three  pounds  of  sugar,  and  six  pounds  of  cofi'ee. 
The  young  commander  was  now  fully  satisfied  that 
the  only  object  of  the  men  in  visiting  the  vessel 
was  not  to  dispose  of  their  vegetables,  for  the 
man  rather  overdid  his  part.  He  gazed  with  open 
mouth  at  every  thing  he  saw,  in  regular  country 
style,  but  it  was  not  natural,  most  of  his  wonder, 
as  Archie  expressed  it,  being  "put  on."  The  lat- 
ter went  below  to  order  his  steward  to  procure 
the  provisions,  and  the  man  inquired — 

"Will  yer  let  a  feller  look  about  a  leetle? 
This  is  the  fust  time  I  was  ever  on  a  gun-boat." 

"Certainly,"  replied  Archie,  who  had  received 
his  instructions  from  Frank ;  "  look  about  all  you 


A    REBEL   TRICK.  219 

please;"  and  while  the  steward  was  weighing  the 
coffee  and  sugar,  he  accompanied  the  man  about 
the  vessel.  There  were  not  more  than  a  dozen 
sailors  on  deck,  and  most  of  these  appeared  to  be 
asleep. 

"Be  these  all  the  fellers  you-uns  hev  got?" 
asked  the  man. 

"What's  the  use  of  having  any  more?"  replied 
Archie.     "There's  no  danger  here." 

"That's  so,"  was  the  answer;  "I  haint  seed  a 
rebel  round  for  more  'n  six  months,  door-orone  if  I 
hev." 

The  man  walked  slowly  about  the  deck,  care- 
fully examining  every  thing  he  saw,  and  acting 
altogether  like  a  backwoodsman  who  had  never 
seen  a  gun-boat  before.     Finally,  he  said 

"I've  heered  as  how  all  these  'ere  boats ^hev 
got  hot  water;  has  yourn?" 

"  Oh,  yes,  we  've  got  plenty  of  hot  water,  but 
it  takes  an  hour  to  screw  the  hose  on,  so  that  we 
can  use  it." 

By  this  time  the  provisions  were  ready,  and  the 
market  men  took  their  departure,  expressing  them- 
selves fully  satisfied  that  it  would  n't  be  a  "  healthy 
job"  for  any  rebels  to  attempt  the  capture  of  the 


220         FRANK   ON   THE   LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

Boxer,  and  promising  to  be  on  hand  the  next  day 
but  one  with  more  "garden  truck." 

As  soon  as  their  boat  was  out  of  sight,  the 
hatches  were  raised,  the  crew  poured  up  out  of 
the  hold,  and  in  a  short  time  the  Boxer's  deck 
presented  its  usual  appearance  of  neatness  and 
order.  Frank's  object  had  been  accomplished,  for 
the  market  men  had  gone  away  satisfied  that 
twenty  determined  men  could  easily  effect  the  cap- 
ture of  the  gun-boat,  and  they  seemed  determined 
to  make  the  most  of  what  they  had.  seen.  Gaines's 
Landing  had  been  a  regular  mail  station,  and  the 
rebels  had  only  been  deterred  from  sending  it 
across  the  river  by  the  presence  of  the  Boxer. 
The  market  men,  however,  had  discovered,  as  they 
supposed,  that  the  vessel  was  but  poorly  manned, 
and  this  being  communicated  to  their  leader,  (for, 
as  Frank  had  suspected,  they  belonged  to  a  regu- 
larly-organized band  of  guerrillas,)  the  latter  de- 
termined to  dispatch  his  mail  at  once. 

That  night,  about  ten  o'clock,  as  Frank  and 
Archie  sat  in  the  cabin  reading,  the  orderly  re- 
ported that  lights  were  seen  moving  about  on  shore. 
This  was  something  unusual,  and  when  Frank  had 
watched  the  light  for  a  moment,  he  came  to  the 


A    REBEL    THICK.  221 

conclusion  that  the  rebels  were  making  some  move- 
ments, the  nature  of  -which  he  was,  of  course,  un- 
able to  determine ;  but  he  resolved,  if  possible,  to 
find  out  what  was  going  on,  and  turning  to  the 
officer  of  the  deck,  ordered  the  cutter  to  be  called 
away  and  furnished  with  an  armed  crew.  This 
order  was  speedily  and  quietly  executed,  and  when 
the  boat  was  ready,  Frank  and  his  cousin  stepped 
into  it,  and  were  pulled  noiselessly  up  the  river. 
The  place  where  the  light  shone  was  about  half 
a  mile  from  the  vessel,  and  when  they  came  op- 
posite to  it,  the  crew  rested  on  their  oars,  giv- 
ing only  an  occasional  stroke  to  keep  the  cutter 
from  floating  down  the  stream,  and  waited  impa- 
tiently for  the  rebels  to  show  themselves. 

The  light,  which  gleamed  from  the  shore  oppo- 
site to  the  town,  seemed  to  come  from  a  dark  lan- 
tern, for  it  w^ould  blaze  up  brightly  for  a  moment, 
and  then  disappear.  Presently  an  answering  light 
was  shown  from  the  shore  nearest  to  them,  when 
Archie  whispered — 

"  There  's  a  boat  coming ! " 

Frank  listened,  and  could  hear  the  slow,  meas- 
ured strokes  of  oars,  which  grew  louder  and 
louder  as  the  boat  approached.     It  seemed  to  be 


222         FR.\NK    ON   THE    LOWER    MISSISSIPPI. 

heading  directly  toward  them,  and  in  a  few  mo- 
ments more  it  could  be  dimly  seen,  moving  through 
the  darkness. 

"Give  way  together!"  commanded  Frank,  and 
the  cutter,  propelled  by  twelve  oars,  shot  along- 
side the  approaching  boat,  and  the  sailors  seized 
the  gunwale  and  held  her  fast.  Resistance  was 
useless.  Three  rebels  quietly  delivered  up  their 
■weapons,  and  one  large,  well-filled  mail-bag  was 
stowed  away  under  the  stern  sheets  of  the  cutter. 
The  prisoners  were  taken  on  board  the  Boxer, 
and  delivered  into  the  charge  of  the  master-at- 
arms,  while  their  boat,  a  leaky  affair,  requiring 
constant  bailing  to  keep  it  afloat,  was  unceremo- 
niously allowed  to  sink.  The  light  on  the  oppo- 
site shore  was  still  shown,  now  at  shorter  intervals, 
as  if  the  persons  who  were  managing  it  had  be- 
gun to  grow  impatient.  This  was  the  source  of 
much  merriment  among  the  sailors,  who  hoped  the 
"rebels  would  not  grow  tired  of  waiting  for  their 
mail." 

The  next  day  the  Manhattan  again  came  up  the 
river,  and,  as  she  approached,  made  signals  for 
Frank  to  go  on  board  of  her.  The  gig  was  called 
away,  and  taking  the  reports  of  the  expedition, 


A   REBEL   TRICK.  223 

the  young  officer  and  his  prisoners  shortly  stood  in 
the  presence  of  Captain  Wilson,  "who,  as  soon  as 
be  had  secured  the  prisoners,  conducted  Frank 
into  the  cabin.  .  The  latter,  after  presenting  his 
reports,  proceeded  to  give  the  captain  a  history  of 
the  expedition  which  had  resulted  in  the  capture 
of  the  guerrilla  chief,  of  the  interview  with  the 
flag  of  truce,  and  of  the  manner  in  which  he  had 
deceived  the  market  men  and  captured  the  mail, 
upon  hearing  which  the  captain  sprang  from  his 
chair,  and  giving  Frank  a  hearty  slap  on  the  back, 
exclaimed : 

"  Well  done,  sir !  well  done  !  Then  you  are  not 
entirely  unprepared  to  hear  what  I  have  to  tell 
you.  I  picked  up  a  runaway  darkey  yesterday, 
who  informs  me  that  the  rebels  are  making  prep- 
arations to  capture  the  Boxer!" 

"I  knew  something  was  going  on,  sir,"  replied 
Frank,  "and  if  that  is  what  they  are  up  to,  they 
will  not  find  me  unprepared." 

"Well,  that  is  what  they  intend  to  do.  They 
have  been  building  two  large  boats,  into  which 
they  are  going  to  put  a  sufficient  force  to  over- 
power you.  The  attempt  is  to  be  made  on 
Wednesday  night.    Of  course,  they  hope  to  be  able 


224         FRANK    ON   THE   LOWER   MISSISSIPPI. 

to  take  you  by  surprise.  This  contraband  I  picked 
up  says  he  worked  on  the  boats,  and  that  they  will 
hold  about  forty  men  each.  I  shall  not  be  far  oflf 
when  the  fight  takes  place,  although  I  do  not  sup- 
pose you  will  need  any  assistance." 

The  two  officers  then  began  an  examination  of 
the  mail,  in  hopes  it  would  throw  some  further 
light  upon  the  movements  of  the  guerrillas;  but 
most  of  the  letters  were  unofficial,  and  not  a  word 
was  said  about  the  proposed  attempt  to  capture 
the  Boxer. 

At  the  end  of  an  hour,  Frank  returned  on  board 
his  vessel,  and  the  Manhattan  steamed  down  the 
river  toward  her  station. 


HONORABLY   DISCHARGED. 


225 


CHAPTER    XV 


i^H^irulbfo    SiBic|pirgieir. 


^^  ^  HEN  Frank  reached  the  Boxer,  h^ 
sent  for  the  executive  officer,  told 
him  of  what  he  had  heard,  and  also 
laid  before  him  the  plans  he  had 
adopted  to  defeat  the  rebels,  which 
met  the  hearty  approval  of  that 
gentleman.  Frank  did  not  think  it 
best  to  delay  putting  the  vessel  in  a  state  of  de- 
fense, for  the  rebels  might  make  the  attempt  at 
any  time ;  so  he  instructed  the  executive  officer  to 
see  that  the  men  were  kept  under  cover,  so  that 
the  rebels,  if  any  were  on  the  watch,  might  not  be 
able  to  judge  of  their  numbers.  When  hammocks 
were  piped  that  night,  not  more  than  a  dozen  men 
answered  the  call,  and  when  bedtime  came,  the 
sailors  stretched  themselves  out  on  deck,  ready  to 
take  their  posts  at  a  moment's  warning.  The 
15 


226         FRANK    ON    THE    LOWER    MISSISSIPPI. 

guns  were  all  carefully  loaded,  the  hot-water  hose 
got  ready  for  use,  and  the  anchor  fixed  so  that  it 
could  be  slipped  in  an  instant.  Outside,  the  ap- 
pearance of  the  vessel  was  not  changed,  the  only 
thing  noticeable  being  the  quantity  of  smoke  that 
came  out  of  her  chimneys.  At  eight  o'clock 
Frank  inspected  the  boat,  and  after  seeing  that 
every  man  was  in  his  place,  he  lay  down  on  the 
sofa  in  the  cabin,  without  removing  his  clothes,  and 
fell  asleep.  When  he  awoke,  he  arose  and  went  on 
deck,  just  as  the  ship's  bell  was  striking  midnight. 
It  was  very  dark,  and  the  only  sound  that  broke 
the  stillness  was  the  splashing  of  the  wheels  of  a 
steamer  as  she  went  on  her  way  up  the  river. 
For  an  hour  he  remained  on  deck,  listening,  but 
without  hearing  any  thing  suspicious  until  just  as 
he  was  about  to  return  to  the  cabin.  He  had 
started  down  the  stairs,  when  he  heard  a  slight 
splashing  ahead  of  the  vessel,  like  a  heavy  oar 
dipped  carefully  into  the  water.  He  listened  a 
moment,  and  the  sound  was  repeated. 

"  There  they  are !  They  're  coming,  sure ! "  said 
Archie,  who  stood  at  his  cousin's  side. 

"Yes,  sir,"  said  Tom,  the  gunner's-mate,  who, 
in  his  eagerness  to  be  the  first  to  announce  the 


HONORABLY   DISCHARGED.  227 

approach  of  the  rebels,  had  remained  on  deck 
during  the  whole  night.     *' That's  them,  sir!" 

"  Tell  the  officer  of  the  deck  to  call  all  hands  to 
quarters  as  quietly  as  possible,"  said  Frank. 

The  officer  ran  below,  and  the  young  com- 
mander heard  the  sound  again,  still  faint,  but 
nearer  and  more  distinct  than  the  others.  It  was 
well  that  he  had  not  put  off  his  preparations  to 
receive  the  rebels,  for  they  were  certainly  ap- 
proaching. Presently  the  pilots  came  up  and  took 
their  stations  at  the  wheel,  and  a  moment  after- 
ward the  executive  officer  came  up  and  reported 
the  crew  ready  for  action.  So  quietly  had  the 
men  been  aroused,  that  Frank  had  not  heard  them 
as  they  moved  to  their  stations.  Nearer  and 
nearer  came  the  sound  of  oars,  and  suddenly  a 
large  flatboat,  crowded  with  men,  loomed  up 
through  the  darkness. 

"On  deck,  there!"  whispered  Frank,  leaning 
over  the  rail  and  speaking  to  a  sailor  on  the  fore- 
castle.    "Slip  that  anchor." 

There  was  the  rattling  of  a  chain  as  this  order 
was  executed,  and  as  the  man  sprang  through  one 
of  the  ports,  a  sheet  of  flame  covered  the  fore- 


228         FRANK    ON    THE    LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

castle,  and  two  twenty-four  pound  sliells  went 
crashing  and  shrieking  among  the  rebels. 

The  pilots  rang  the  bell  for  the  engineers  to 
"  come  ahead,"  and  as  the  Boxer  turned  out  into 
the  river,  thus  bringing  her  broadside  guns  to  bear 
on  the  boat,  two  more  shells  completed  the  ruin. 
The  rebels  were  caught  in  their  own  trap.  Their 
boat  was  sinking,  half  their  number  either  dead  or 
wounded,  and  all  who  were  able  to  swim  were 
springing  into  the  water  and  making  for  the  near- 
est shore. 

It  was  so  dark  Frank  could  not  see  the  havoc 
that  had  been  made  among  the  guerrillas,  and  he 
was  about  to  give  them  another  broadside,  when  he 
heard  loud  cries  for  quarter.  That  boat  was  dis- 
posed of,  and  he  turned  to  look  for  the  other,  (for 
Captain  Wilson  had  said  there  were  two  of  them,) 
but  it  was  not  to  be  seen.  As  he  afterward  learned, 
tiie  guerrillas,  having  been  completely  deceived  as 
to  the  force  of  the  Boxer,  had  crowded  sixty  men 
into  one  boat,  thinking  that  force  sufficient  to  in- 
sure an  easy  victory.  After  running  up  the  river 
nearly  a  mile  without  seeing  any  signs  of  the  boat, 
the  Boxer  returned  to  her  station,  and  found  the 
rebel  craft  hard  and  fast  aground.     Her  deck  was 


HONORABLY    DISCHARGED.  229 

covered  ^vith  dead  and  wounded,  and  Frank  at 
once  turned  his  attention  to  taking  care  of  the  lat- 
ter. Twenty-three  wounded  guerrillas  were  con- 
veyed on  board  the  vessel,  and  delivered  into  the 
charge  of  the  doctor  and  his  steward,  together 
with  nearly  a  dozen  prisoners,  who,  being  unable 
to  swim,  had  not  dared  to  leave  the  boat.  The 
dead  were  left  where  they  had  fallen.  The  Boxer 
then  returned  to  her  anchorage,  and  Frank,  feel- 
ing safe  for  the  remainder  of  the  night,  ordered 
hammocks  to  be  piped,  a  command  which  the  sail- 
ors gladly  obeyed,  for  their  soft  mattresses  were 
much  more  comfortable  than  the  hard  deck.  By 
the  time  every  thing  had  been  restored  to  order, 
the  quarter-master  reported  the  Manhattan  ap- 
proaching. Frank  answered  her  signals,  and  as 
she  came  alonside,  Captain  Wilson  sprang  on  board. 

"How  is  it,  captain?"  he  inquired,  as  Frank  met 
him  at  the  gangway.  "Mercy!"  he  exclaimed,  as 
he  entered  the  door  and  saw  the  wounded  rebels 
lying  in  rows  on  the  deck.  "Lively  while  it 
lasted,  wasn't  it?  How  many  men  have  you 
lost?" 

"None,  sir,"  replied  Frank.  "If  the  rebels 
fired  a  shot  at  us,  I  don't  know  it.' 


230         FRANK    ON    THE    LOWER   MISSISSIPPI. 

*'When  I  heard  the  firing,"  continued  the  cap- 
tain, "I  was  afraid  you  had  neglected  to  make 
preparations  to  receive  them,  and  had  got  yourself 
into  a  bad  scrape.  But  I  see  you  are  able  to  take 
care  of  yourself." 

The  captain  then  returned  on  board  his  vessel, 
•which  moved  out  into  the  river  and  came  to  an- 
chor at  a  short  distance  from  the  Boxer,  -while 
Frank  retired  to  his  room  and  fell  asleep,  well 
satisfied  with  his  night's  work. 

Early  the  next  morning,  a  single  rebel  appeared 
on  the  bank,  with  a  flag  of  truce,  and  a  boat  being 
sent  out  from  the  Manhattan,  he  was  conveyed  on 
board  that  vessel.  In  a  short  time,  however,  it 
returned  and  set  the  rebel  on  board  the  Boxer. 

"I  want  permission  to  bury  our  dead,"  said  the 
guerrilla,  on  being  shown  into  the  cabin. 

"  You  must  see  Captain  Wilson  about  that,"  re- 
plied Frank.  "I  have  no  authority  while  he  is 
here." 

"I  have  just  been  to  see  him,"  replied  the  rebel, 
''and  he  sent  me  to  you.  He  says  you  command 
this  station." 

This  was  a  compliment  seldom  paid  a  young  offi* 
cer ;  but  the  fact  was,  Captain  Wilson  was  so  elated 


HONORABLY   DISCHARGED.  231 

at  Frank's  success,  that  he  determined  to  take 
every  opportunity  to  make  his  approval  known. 
The  young  commander,  of  course,  granted  the  re- 
quest, and  soon  after  the  Manhattan  steamed  down 
the  river. 

About  a  week  afterward,  a  tin-clad  came  up, 
and  her  captain  came  on  board  the  Boxer  and 
presented  Frank  with  written  orders  to  report  to 
Captain  Wilson  without  delay. 

"  I  expect,"  said  he,  "  that  you  will  take  my  old 
station.  If  you  do,  you  will  have  your  hands  full, 
for  boats  are  fired  into  every  day;  but,  somehow, 
I  was  always  at  the  wrong  end  of  my  beat  to  meet 
the  rebels," 

When  the  captain  had  returned  on  board  his 
vessel,  the  Boxer  got  up  steam,  and,  in  obedience 
to  her  orders,  started  down  the  river.  They 
found  Captain  Wilson  the  next  day,  and  Frank 
was  assigned  a  new  station.  His  beat  was  about 
five  miles  in  length,  and  was  a  noted  place  for 
guerrillas.  Steamboat  captains  dreaded  to  pass  it, 
for  their  boats  were  fired  into,  and  often  badly  cut 
up.  The  rebels  had  a  battery  of  three  guns,  with 
which  they  were  constantly  dodging  from  one  point 
to  another,  always  taking  good  care,  however,  to 


232         FRANK   ON   THE   LOWER   MISSISSIPPI. 

keep  out  of  reach  of  the  gun-boats.  On  the  second 
day  Frank  arrived  at  his  station,  and  while  run- 
ning idly  about — for  his  orders  from  Captain  Wil- 
son were  to  "keep  moving" — a  steamer  passed 
them  on  her  way  up  the  river,  and  Frank  ordered 
the  pilot  to  round-to  and  follow  her.  The  order 
was  obeyed,  but  they  had  not  gone  more  than  half 
a  mile,  when  a  battery,  mounted  on  a  point  which 
ran  for  some  distance  out  into  the  river,  opened  on 
the  steamer.  The  Boxer  was  at  that  moment  be- 
hind the  point  and  out  of  sight  of  the  rebels,  who, 
however,  were  soon  made  aware  of  her  presence; 
for  they  had  scarcely  fired  two  rounds  before  a 
shell  dismounted  one  of  their  guns.  Their  surprise 
was  complete,  and  abandoning  their  battery,  they 
ran  into  the  woods  for  protection.  The  Boxer 
rounded  the  point,  all  the  while  shelling  the  woods, 
and  Frank,  seeing  the  guns  deserted,  landed  with 
his  vessel  and  secured  them.  That  guerrilla  sta- 
tion was,  for  the  present,  broken  up.  So  thought 
Frank,  who  ordered  the  pilot  to  proceed  up  the 
river  until  he  found  the  Manhattan.  The  next 
day  the  battery  was  delivered  up  to  Captain  "Wil- 
son, who  sent  it  by  the  dispatch-boat  to  Mound 
City,  which  was  then  the  naval  station. 


HONORABLY   DISCHARGED.  233 

From  that  time  hostilities  along  the  river  gradu- 
ally ceased.  The  Boxer  for  nearly  a  year  ran 
from  one  end  of  her  beat  to  the  other  without  en- 
countering a  single  armed  rebel.  Then  came  the 
news  of  the  glorious  success  of  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac,  followed  by  the  intelligence  of  a  general 
surrender  of  the  rebel  forces.  The  Boxer  was 
dressed  with  flags,  salutes  fired,  and  officers  and 
crew  looked  forward  with  impatience  to  the  time 
when  they  would  be  permitted  to  return  home. 
At  length  came  the  long  expected  order  to  report 
to  the  admiral  at  Mound  City,  where  the  reduction 
of  the  squadron  was  rapidly  going  on. 

Although  Frank  was  impatient  to  see  his  quiet 
little  home  once  more,  he  was  reluctant  to  part 
from  his  crew,  whom,  upon  his  arrival  at  the  navy- 
yard,  he  had  received  orders  to  discharge.  One 
by  one  the  sailors  came  into  the  cabin,  and  the 
hearty  grasp  of  their  hands,  and  the  earnest  man- 
ner in  which  they  wished  their  commander  "  plain 
sailing  through  life,"  showed  that  their  feelings 
were  not  unlike  his  own. 

One  morning,  upon  inquiry  at  the  navy-yard 
post-office,  Frank  was  presented  with  two  official 
documents,  which  proved  to  be  leaves  of  absence 


234        FRANK   ON   THE    LOWER   MISSISSIPPI. 

for  himself  and  Archie  for  three  months.  "At 
the  expiration  of  that  time,"  so  read  the  docu- 
ment, "if  your  services  are  no  longer  required, 
you  will  be  honorably  discharged  from  the  navy 
of  the  United  States.  Acknowledge  the  receipt 
of  this  leave,  and  send  your  address  to  the  de- 
partment." 

As  soon  as  this  order  had  been  complied  with, 
the  cousins  began  to  make  preparations  to  start 
for  home.  Their  trunks  had  been  packed  several 
days  before,  in  readiness  for  an  immediate  depar- 
ture, and  in  three  hours  after  the  receipt  of  their 
leaves  they  had  taken  their  seats  in  the  train 
bound  for  Portland.  The  ride  had  never  seemed 
so  long,  nor  had  the  cars  ever  moved  so  slowly; 
but,  in  due  time,  they  reached  the  city  in  safety. 
Frank  remained  but  one  day  in  Portland,  for  he 
was  anxious  to  reach  home.  The  "Julia  Burton" 
still  made  her  regular  trips  from  Augusta  to  Law- 
rence, and  on  the  third  day  he  reached  the  village. 
Brave  was  the  first  to  welcome  him  as  he  stepped 
out  of  the  hack  that  had  conveyed  him  from  the 
wharf  to  the 'cottage,  and  not  recognizing  his  masr 
ter,  muffled  up  as  he  was  in  his  heavy  overcoat,  he 
stood  at  the  gate,  growling  savagely,  as  if  to  warn 


HONORABLY   DISCHARGED.  235 

him  that  he  had  ventured  close  enough.  But  one 
word  was  sufficient.  The  faithful  animal  had  not 
forgotten  the  sound  of  the  familiar  voice,  and 
bounding  over  the  fence,  he  nearly  overpowered 
his  master  with  caresses. 

The  meeting  with  his  mother  and  sister  we  shall 
not  attempt  to  describe.  Those  who  have  passed 
through  similar  scenes  can  easily  imagine  that  joy 
reigned  supreme  in  that  house. 

About  a  week  after  his  arrival  at  home,  Archie 
Winters  and  his  parents  reached  the  village,  the 
latter  having  "  taken  a  holiday  "  in  honor  of  the 
young  paymaster's  safe  return.  The  cousins  spent 
their  furlough  in  visiting  their  old  hunting  and 
fishing-grounds,  and  in  calling  upon  their  friends. 
George  and  Harry  Butler  had  returned,  the  former 
with  an  empty  sleeve,  having  lost  his  arm  in  the 
Battle  of  the  Wilderness.  But  all  their  compan- 
ions had  not  been  as  fortunate  as  themselves. 
More  than  one  had  been  offered  upon  the  altar 
of  their  country,  and  many  a  familiar  face  was 
missing. 

At  the  expiration  of  their  three  months'  leave, 
Frank  and  Archie  received  their  honorable  dis- 
charges from  the  service,  the  sight  of  which  re- 


236         FRANK   ON    THD    LOWER   MISSISSIPPI. 

called  vmdly  to  their  minds  many  a  thrilling  scene 
through  which  they  had  passed.  How  changed 
the  scene  now  from  that  when  they  had  first  bid 
adieu  to  their  homes,  to  join  the  ranks  of  their 
country's  defenders!  *'Then  a  gigantic  rebellion 
was  in  progress;  armed  men  sentineled  each  other 
from  Virginia  to  the  Rio  Grande;  and  the  land 
was  filled  with  the  crash  of  contending  armies. 
Kow,  the  rebel  forces  are  vanquished,  their  ban- 
ner in  the  dust;  the  slave  empire  that  was  to  rise 
upon  the  ruins  of  the  Republic  is  itself  in  ruins; 
and  the  soldiers  and  sailors  of  the  Union,  returur 
ing  their  weapons  to  the  arsenals,  have  exchanged 
their  honored  blue  for  the  citizen's  garb,  and  re- 
sumed their  peaceful  avocations,  as  modest  and 
unassuming  as  though  they  had  never  performed 
the  deeds  of  valor  that  have  filled  the  whole  civil- 
ized world  with  wonder." 

Frank  and  Archie  are  proud  of  the  part  they 
have  borne  in  the  war  of  the  Rebellion,  and  will 
never  forget  their  varied  and  eventful  experience 
in  the  Mississippi  Squadron. 

THE  END. 


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RARE  BOOK 
COLLECTION 


THE  LIBRARY  OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF 

NORTH  CAROLINA 

AT 

CHAPEL  HILL 

Wi  liter 
458 


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